Indian Down Under June-July 2014 E Paper

India goes for Modi
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Inside this Issue:
8: Vijay Badhwar talks to
Indian community about
Modi wave and what it
means for India
11: Rekha Bhattacharjee
analyses Indian elections
17: Neeru Saluja inter-
views Lunchbox director
Ritesh Batra
47: Gaurav Joshi reports
on IPL direct from Abu
Dhabi and India
02 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER June - July 2014
June - July 2014 THEINDIANDOWNUNDER 03
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I
t was a stunning win for the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP), even perhaps,
beyond their own expectations to get
an absolute majority on their own.
Needless that they were making overtures
towards Jayalalitha and Mamata Banerjee
to be an ally, unsure how BJP would per-
form in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in a
quagmire of caste politics.
In the end, all the BJPs apprehen-
sions were unfounded, the masses being
so disenchanted with the UPA govern-
ment, the corruption scandals, the inef-
fectual prime minister Manmohan Singh
and the yoke of dynasty rule that they
must have been overwhelmed with.
Novice Rahul Gandhi was no match for
the former Rashtriya Swayam Sevak
Sangh (RSS) skillful Pracharak. The
Gandhi scion (Rahul) neither had the
political experience, nor the charisma and
dynamism to rally the masses behind
him. Four times chief minister of
Gujarat, Narendra Modi, had the bullish
energy to hold multiple rallies each single
day of the long campaign in far flung
corners of India and the savvy to indulge
with diverse crowds in rants why they
should not vote for the mother and son
team. They heeded his cogency; the elec-
tion results bear the testimony.
The share market reacted well to the
BJP win as there is a sentiment of opti-
mism, experts now predicting double
digit growth in a few years time. India
had lately been stagnating under lack lus-
tre policies of a government that had vir-
tually given up.
The battle now won, there are many
challenges for the BJP within the party as
well as beyond. The Modi team has
already initiated moves to infuse new
blood, albeit at the cost of straining rela-
tionships with party stalwarts like LK
Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Modi
also has to address the underlying corrup-
tion issues in the party that he has
escaped this time.
In one of Satyamev Jayate episodes,
Criminalization of Politics, the research
carried out by an American Indian, Milan
Vaishnav, spanning 35 elections in the
period 2003-09 and including 60,000 can-
didates, provides an alarming insight.
According to his analysis, candidates
with no criminal cases against them had a
seven per cent probability of winning,
which went up to 19 per cent if they had
one or two minor cases registered
against them.
There was more probability of win-
ning, 25 per cent, for candidates who had
serious cases registered against them,
three times compared to clean candidates.
Prof Jagdeep Chokkar who heads the
Association of Democratic Reforms pro-
vides data now published on Election
Commission website that in the previous
parliament from 543 MPs, 162 had cases
pending in courts against them, 76 among
them having a case of a serious nature
like rape, murder, kidnapping or rob-
bery. Hundred per cent of Jharkhand
Mukti Morcha (JMM) MPs, 38 percent
of BJP MPs and 21 per cent of Congress
MPs had criminal cases against them in
courts. While it is welcoming that BJP
has an absolute majority, it is unfortunate
that a new entrant in politics, Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP), which took up
cudgels against corruption in politics, has
done dismally in the elections due to their
own mismanagement but also due to sus-
tained propaganda against them by the
BJP that they were merely Congress
incognito.
After the election win, PM-elect
Modi played a controversial but a master
stroke to invite SAARC leaders including
adversaries like Pakistan President
Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lankan President
Rajpaksa to the swearing-in ceremony.
Suddenly there is much more life in
Indian politics now that the true son of
India, Narendra Modi is at the helm.
Visit us at :
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The time is over for
dynasty rule in India
The share market react-
ed well to the BJP win as
there is a sentiment of
optimism, experts now
predicting double digit
growth in a few years
time. India had lately
been stagnating under
lack lustre policies of a
government that had
virtually given up.
The Gandhi scion
(Rahul) neither had the
political experience, nor
the charisma and
dynamism to rally the
masses behind him.
Besides Modi engaged
diverse crowds in rants
why they should not
vote for the mother and
son team.
Narendra Modi is seen as Vikas Purush (Development leader) in the like of Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and Loh Purush (Iron Man) like LK Advani rolled into one.
8 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER June-July 2014
Verdict in India
M
odi wave, shrugged off by
Congress leaders and allies, did
eventuate and swept through the
length and breadth of India to clean up even
deep rooted entrenchments, bringing a
breath of fresh air and hope to masses that
good times were ahead.
It was an unprecedented victory for
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 283 seats -
beyond its own expectations, and a disas-
trous result for Congress - its worst, 44
seats, that even resolved the complex poli-
tics in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar in
favour of the BJP. The two northern states
of UP and Bihar have a final say in who
wins and loses elections in India, complicat-
ed by the caste politics of regional parties
such as Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan
Samajwadi Party (BSP), Rashtriya Janata
Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal United (JDU).
The only two regional leaders who did well,
although not in a committed alliance with
BJP, were All India Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader Jayalalitha
and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
leader Mamata Banerjee, who won 36 and
34 seats respectively in Tamil Nadu and
Weest Bengal constituencies.
The Indian Down Under invited com-
munity opinion on their reaction to the elec-
tion results, new Government stability and
its priorities, why Congress lost and
whether it can stage a future comeback and
the future of new parties like the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP). Following are their
opinions:
Manbir Kohli
Community Forum Voice of India,
Monika Geetmala, 89.7FM
A
great result which gives an unflinch-
ing mandate to the BJP and they will
not be cowed down by their alliance
partners. They can call the shots and will
have no room for excuses as the buck will
stop with the BJP. They can make many
required changes to India's political, eco-
nomic and social structure.
BJPs will be a stable, strong govern-
ment and I do see them come back for mul-
tiple terms. Modi has proven his unprece-
dented popularity and it will be hard for
anyone to negotiate him out of the parlia-
ment for quite some time. However, the
Congress as an opposition party has been
notorious in fomenting trouble and this may
be a challenge for the BJP. Also, managing
the RSS and Sangh Parivar's interference
will be a huge challenge as this can really
get them offside the intellectuals and secular
elements of the BJP and general public.
The main priorities of the Modi
Government should be:
The economic development of India
refocussed to be able to achieve its potential
Bring in a more transparent and
accountable government
An inclusive development for all sec-
tions and sectors of society including
minorities
Return of faith in the Indian political,
judicial and economic institutions
Repatriation of ill-gotten money lying
in Swiss Banks, justice to the victims of the
1984 carnage; corrupt politicians to be
arrested
Removal of 'Reservation' system
Peace and harmonious relationship
with India's neighbours
Resolution of the Kashmir issue and
action on their commitment to the abroga-
tion of Article 370
Resettlement of the Kashmiri Pandits
back in kashmir
Corruption free institutions
Development of India's aging educa-
tion system
Development of infrastructure
Congress has lost due to the incessant
corruption, being out of touch with the
ground realities, no respect for the people
and democratic institutions, crony capital-
ism, dynastic rule politics with no experi-
ence, encouraging sectarian politics, lack of
discipline as a political party.
It will be a steep climb for Congress to
stage a comeback next time or later, espe-
cially in relation to Gandhi dynasty which
may take 2-3 terms in opposition before
they can claw back lost ground. The Gandhi
dynasty will be forgotten by then.
There is no future for parties like AAP.
The Indian political system is still not aware
of the ills of illegal political contributions
and there are huge injections of money that
will need to have a Return on Investment by
the investors. They will need huge doses of
money and political shrewdness in case they
have to be relevant. This will then take
away the reason they were formed, for
bringing in honesty into politics.
Sheba Nandkeolyar
CEO, MultiConnexions & President of
Australia India Business Council, NSW
G
reat results, the country needed this
change. Narendra Modi has proven
himself in his own state Gujarat
what he could achieve so, definitely, he
can do this for the country too. A great out-
come for India.
Modi had a long stint in Gujarat, where
he turned the state around, so I see no rea-
son why he cannot have a long term at the
Centre too. With the majority he has got he
will move forward quickly. He has demon-
strated he is a man of action and not just
promises.
Australia India Business Council
(AIBC) has been taking the largest delega-
tions from Australia to Gujarat and I must
add that we have always received a lot of
support from Chief Minister Modi including
one on one meetings with AIBC chair and
delegates.
Our experience interacting with Modi
has been very positive, so we are sure he
will move with the same dynamism in his
new role.
The main priorities for the Modi
Government are:
Building India into a solid economy
which can be done in several ways:
India already has the demographic
advantage and terrific people talent. He
should capitalise on this and build a nation
which is ambitious and action driven. He
can encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship
in India.
Build good international linkages with
other countries and the NRIs who can all be
great ambassadors for Indian Trade,
Commerce & Culture.
Obviously, as President of AIBC
NSW, I would like him to visit Australia
and forge strong business links with
Australia. It has been over quarter of a cen-
tury since any Indian Prime Minister visited
Australia.
Congress has lost for losing touch with
the grassroots, too centralised and top heavy
thinking could be one of the reasons. The
fact that there were no regional leaders in
place was evident in the fact that in some
states they won no seats.
Congress can stage a comeback next
time or later but they need to tap into new
talent and not just push the dynasty connec-
tion.
Parties like AAP have a future if they
try and work through the logistics end to
end. Promising to erase corruption without
the mechanics can lead to frustration. They
had noble ideals but many of their candi-
dates did not live upto these ideals in their
own lives.
Dinesh Garg
Strathfield
I
ndia is primed for change. India is now
a mature democratic and secular coun-
try. People understand their rights and
cannot be bought with the handouts or pres-
sured with threats at the election time.
Mayavatis party not getting a single seat
and stunning election results in UP and
Bihar are a proof that people believe in
BJPs vision and their track record in gov-
ernance and progress. Having said this, this
also poses a challenge to the new NDA gov-
ernment: develop or perish. If they do not
perform, they, too, can be wiped out in the
next election.
Going by BJPs track record in Gujarat
(re-elected three times), Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Goa, BJP
Alliance will do well at the Centre. Modis
mantra of good governance will help fight
corruption and promote growth, providing
jobs and growth opportunities to millions of
people in the country, lifting them out of
poverty. His inclusive approach to regional
development will ensure the country moves
forward as a whole, not one part of the
country at the expense of the other.
However, if Modis report card does not
look as good in 60 months as promised,
people of India will be reluctant to vote his
party back into power.
Good Governance, simplification and
transparency of bureaucratic approval
processes, reducing impediments to indus-
trial and agricultural growth, transport
infrastructure, availability of electricity and
water, national security. Additionally, the
new government should work towards cre-
ating an environment in which people feel
Community
upbeat on
Modi win
By Vijay Badhwar
Verdict in India
safe and secure to work and live and cor-
ruption becomes a thing of the past.
The Congress has lost due to centralisa-
tion of power in just two hands, Sonia and
Rahul, surrounded by sycophants, resulting
in ineffective parliamentary leadership.
They have also lost for their negative cam-
paigning, rather than focussing on achieve-
ments. Congress played the secular card a
bit too much.
Congress can stage a comeback. They
did so in 1980 when five-party alliance
Janata Party in 1977-1980 failed to deliver
to the peoples aspirations, and again in
2004, when good work done by the BJP
under Vajpayee was not perceived as such
by the economically worse-off sections of
the society. BJP appears to have learned the
lessons from the past. Their inclusive and
holistic growth mantra may make it a bit dif-
ficult for the Congress party this time. But it
is not impossible. Rahul Gandhi, however,
may not be the best bet.
Parties such as AAP do have a future.
They are formed with just one or two main
social, political and/or moral agenda items,
with the sole purpose of keeping the gov-
ernment honest while managing that agenda.
They should, however, remain focussed on
what they stand for and constructive in
whatever they do.
These minor parties should expand only
after achieving their initial objectives and
only when they have breadth and depth of
leadership and experience in the newer
areas, else they will end up in political
wilderness.
Chandrahas Thakkar
Eastwood
I
am very happy that Modiji has won the
election on the ground what he has done
in Gujarat state; he deserved to win and
hope that he will try to improve all other
states. I think it will be a stable government
and considering the majority he has
achieved, he will easily govern second term.
The priority of Modi Government
should be to stabilise and control all parties
in the parliament and itemise the issues lying
on the table of parliament and start working
to sort out thousands of pending issues
which are not resolved by previous govern-
ment during last 10 years of their ruling. He
will need a majority to pass, which he has
achieved.
The Congress loss is due to lies, decep-
tion, corruption, taking undue advantage of
backward and uneducated class within their
jurisdiction. They gained their trust but
filled their own belly pot. Shameful false
promises.
Its over for Congress and Gandhi
dynasty. There is no chance for them to
come back.
I do not think AAP has any future,
though Kejriwal himself is an intelligent
person. He has not graduated to the level
how to manage the country.
Prasad Tadipatri
West Ryde
T
he results of the recent Indian elec-
tions are a matter of great joy and
jubilation. Finally, some hope that a
great leader has been elected by vast major-
ity of Indians as Modi has vision and capac-
ity to deliver as clearly proven when he was
the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
They will form a very stable govern-
ment. As BJP-Modi has won with a clear
majority there is no need to beg, bargain or
appease the minor parties for support to pass
any legislation or policies as these smaller
parties keep threatening to destabilise unless
certain decisions favourable to them are
made.
Undoubtedly, BJP-Modi will go for
more than one term. As compared to many
previous leaders, Modi is a much more
charismatic, visionary, powerful, clever and
energetic leader.
There are many areas for improvement
and lot of hopes are on Modi to deliver. The
main priorities of the Modi Government
include economic growth (which will make
the country prosperous and generate more
employment), reducing corruption, cutting
red tape, attracting foreign investment,
building better infrastructure, uplifting
poorer communities, more environmentally
friendly policies, higher renewable energy
use, stronger foreign policy and making
India a super power.
Congress has long lost the charm and
does not have a charismatic leader (Rahul
Gandhi is not at all suited, unlike his father
Rajiv Gandhi). People were fed up and not
happy with the progress achieved under
Congress rule. Corruption has been endem-
ic and red tape rampant. They were just
playing the politics and just managing the
show.
I do not think Congress or Gandhi
dynasty has a chance to come back in the
near future. People are disillusioned and
there is no charm left in the Gandhi dynasty.
There is no visionary leader left in the
dynasty.
In the medium to long term it depends
on the performance of BJP-Modi and what
they can deliver. No one can hoodwink
whole of India for a long time; people will
show their might through vote, which is as
it should be in a true democracy.
The future of parties like AAP is bleak,
as no party can stand and win on a single
issue. No doubt corruption is a big problem,
but that cannot be the only agenda item for
any national party.
Surender Reddy
Financial Consultant, Epping
M
odis win is the best thing that
happened in the history of India
and for many of us. This period
will be known as Modi's era. People and
many generations to come will remember
Sonia Gandhi's time as a dark era in Indian
politics. I only hope the dynasty rule is
over.
I do think it will be a stable Government
for another two terms at least.
Modi Governments priorities should be:
elimination of corruption; punish corrupt
politicians; bring back black money from
Swiss banks; of course, development,
growth and work towards eradication of
poverty and relook at the reservation sys-
tem.
The failure of Congress government,
among many other things, has been due to
endemic corruption, aristocratic rule, divi-
sive politics etc.
I dont think Congress can come back. I
think regional parties will play a major role
in Indian politics. This will be bad for unit-
ed India.
AAP had a future; not any more. I think
Kejriwal conducted himself as immature,
unprofessional and untrustworthy. He has
no respect for India's legal system and
democracy.
Debu Mukerji
PhD, FIEAust CPEng
India got its freedom in 1947 and the
corruption multiplied forthwith pervading
all facets of governance and leadership of
the country. It took about 67 years for the
people to muster their aspirations and urge
to reform the governance and transcend to
oust the oldest ruling party by democratic
process. The cleaning process was total. It
appears doubtful if the Congress could even
be the largest opposition party. It is an
amazing process to observe and humbling
experience.
There is a strong possibility for stability
of the new Government. However, it will be
related to realization of peoples awakened
aspirations of changes for holistic prosperi-
ty across domains of self-family, fellow cit-
izens, economy, and the country. The
process of change should be transparent and
realistic.
Narendra Modi was cut off by the US
and UK after the 2002 riots. It appears they
are trying to reach out for adjustments with
the emerging Indian realities. There is some
talk that Mr Modi must now convince
India's Muslims. If any convincing at all, I
feel there is no need to bow down or for
quick political gains of giving concessions
after concessions.
Instead, let there be a courageous and
righteous holistic political and governance
strategies to transcend such internal and
external hiccups. As corruption disappears,
economy turns around and people continue
to enthusiastically support the governing
process, things will change for Indians and
in Indias image internationally. These are
big asks but can be achieved. This would
automatically open up world of opportuni-
ties for the people and governance process.
To sustain rather stimulate peoples
support and energy and to ensure that they
are not let down ever again.
Instill strategies for increasing effec-
tiveness towards humanism and business
friendliness.
India traditionally has great potentials
in agriculture, manufacturing, construction
and in recent years manifested growing
prowess in the new technology and service
sectors e.g., IT and banking. Modi
Government must realize all these sectors
are interrelated and attention given for bal-
anced economic and employment growth for
all categories of people e.g., knowledge
workers, manufacturing-construction skilled
workers, farmers for advanced agriculture
and so on. All of these sectors need cutting-
edge modernization and diversification to
cater for changing needs all over the coun-
try.
People are tired of incompetence,
bureaucratic lethargy, bribery, misdirection
of energy and resources of the country, and
indifference to the leakages of enormous
amount of money. These need to be
reversed.
I am optimistic that Congress can stage a
comeback. Success of the Modi government
will be a strong deterrent force. In India
(and in many other places) the dynasty sys-
tem seems to persist.
However, Congress would need massive
change. Whether Rahul Gandhi is capable
for such a game-changing leadership is open
to doubt.
AAP and such others come up in
response to peoples needs. AAP is working
on expanding its programmes and policies.
They could contribute as moral-compass
even in the best of situations. If AAP devel-
ops as potential competitors they will fill in
the gap of a capable alternate which is
essential in sound democracy.
India
Modi promises strong,
developed, inclusive nation
President Pranab Mukherjee administering the oath of office to
Narendra Modi as Indias 14th PM.
New Delhi: India got a new prime minis-
ter as Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi,
63, took oath Monday in a 90-minute,
open-air, business-like ceremony in the
forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended
by leaders of eight neigbouring countries.
Among the 4,000-strong guests at the
epochal event were the Who's Who of
India - politicians, corporate honchos, film
stars, inter-faith leaders - as well as diplo-
matic representatives from over 100 coun-
tries.
The oath of office and secrecy includ-
ing pledge of allegiance to the Indian con-
stitution was administered in Hindi to
Modi - who wore a off-white kurta-churi-
dar and a fawn-coloured Nehru jacket - by
President Pranab Mukherjee.
Modi becomes India's 14th prime min-
ister, succeeding Manmohan Singh, who
was at the event, along with Congress
president Sonia Gandhi. Modi is the first
prime minister born in independent India -
- and the second from Gujarat.
Modi, who led the BJP to a historic
victory in the Lok Sabha battle, was
expected to move to his South Block
office Tuesday.
Seconds after he took oath, the web
site of the Prime Minister's Office carried
his message to the people promising to
"script a glorious future for India", one
that is "strong, developed and inclusive"
and that engages with the global communi-
ty for the cause of world peace and devel-
opment.
Modi said he was choosing his web
site to deliver his first message to the peo-
ple as he was a "firm believer in the
power of technology and social media to
communicate with people across the
world" and a "very important medium of
direct communication between us".
Along with Modi, a 45-strong council
of ministers that included 23 of the cabinet
rank took oath. There were seven women
in the ministry, including six in the cabi-
net.
Prominent ministers were BJP presi-
dent Rajnath Singh, the first among minis-
ters to take oath, Sushma Swaraj, the for-
mer Leader of Opposition in the Lok
Sabha, and Arun Jaitley, the former
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Najma Heptullah is the only Muslim in the
cabinet.
The setting was in many ways unique.
Contrary to earlier occasions when the
short ceremony was held in the stately
Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Modi,
true to his style as a communicator and
mass leader, chose to have it in the open
in order to be able to accommodate many
more people, perhaps the largest such
gathering for any prime ministerial swear-
ing-in in India.
The ceremony was watched live across
the nation and in world capitals, on TV
and web casts. It was an amazing journey
for the bespectacled and bearded Modi
who sold tea in a railway station in
Gujarat at a young age, before embracing
politics, culminating in his becoming the
leader of a country of 1.2 billion people.
File personal bond, Delhi HC suggests to Kejriwal
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday suggested to former Delhi chief minister and
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal to furnish a personal bond and seek his release
from jail and "not to make it a prestige issue". A division bench of Justice Kailash
Gambhir and Justice Sunita Gupta allowed senior advocate Shanti Bhushan and advocate
Prashant Bhushan appearing for Kejriwal to meet him in Tihar Jail and seek his instruction
on the issue of filing personal bond.
The bench also asked Kejriwal not to make it as an issue of "prestige" and opined that he
should first seek bail. "Why are you taking (it) as a prestige? Don't make it a question of
prestige. File your personal bond, seek his (Kejriwal) release today. We can direct it now.
You take instructions from him," the court said and posted the matter post lunch Tuesday.
Kejriwal Monday moved a habeas corpus petition for his immediate release, saying he has
been "illegally" sent to judicial custody on a "completely wrong premise of law" by the
court's orders of May 21 and May 23. He challenged a trial court order sending him to
judicial custody. Kejriwal is in judicial custody till June 6 after he refused to furnish a per-
sonal bond in a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Gadkari.
"Kejriwal has been illegally sent to judicial custody till June 6 for refusing to furnish the
bail bond in a summon case on a private complaint even though it was not mandatory and
he was ready to give a written undertaking," said the plea.
By Rekha Bhattacharjee
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin"
- 'The Times They Are A-Changin'
by Bob Dylan
W
hen Narendra Modi was sworn in
as the 14th Prime Minister of
India in a grand ceremony on the
sprawling lawns of Rashtrapati Bhavan in
New Delhi, the world's largest democracy
was marking the ushering in of a new era.
Over 2500 privileged guests witnessed the
culmination of a perfect storm generated by
Narendra Modi-led BJP and also the burial
of the Nehruvian legacy which the ruling
dispensation used as a leitmotif for over
three generations.
May 26th marked the day when
Narendra Modi-led India was keeping
another tryst with the destiny. But, unlike
the impoverished, battered and bleeding
country Jawaharlal Nehru addressed to on
15th August 1947, Narendra Modi is poised
to pilot a much more confident, self-assured
and youthful India to a position among the
global equals. The events which have
unfolded earlier in May in India have
changed the political landscape for all times
to come.
Paradigm shifts
Any which way you look at the results of
the 16th Lok Sabha elections in India, you
cannot help noticing the tectonic paradigm
shift in a number of ways. The pole position
occupied by the Nehru-Gandhi political
dynasty has changed to this effect that the
iconic Congress Party is struggling to stay
alive.
Thanks to a Modi tsunami, the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) has not only established
total dominance in the Hindi heartland but
also made inroads in unchartered territories.
The strong bases of Congress, on the other
hand, have eroded beyond recognition. In
over six states, the 'only national party' has
failed to win a single seat.
Citadels demolished,
cow belt satraps decimated
The impregnable Congress citadels in
Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka et al have been demolished by
that son of a chaiwala from Vadnagar, a
small town in Mehsana district of North
Gujarat. It's a massive compliment to the
Indian democracy that a person with such
humble origins has been elected to lead the
second most populous country in the world.
The paradigm has also shifted for the
cow belt satraps who based their rajniti on
the caste and religious polarisation.
Mayawati, Mulayam and Lalu Yadav have
been left licking the wounds inflicted by an
electoral fury unleashed by Narendra Modi.
Satraps from Tamil Nadu, Odisha and
West Bengal, however, did quite well in the
Lok Sabha polls.
While the first two attributed their mas-
sive mandate to the competent governance
plank, Mamata Banerjee has managed to
pull-off a stupendous triumph due to the
divisive policies perfected by the aforemen-
tioned cow belt satraps. And this was one of
the disturbing aberrations in what is being
seen as the maturing of the Indian electoral
politics.
Secularists farce exposed
and debunked
The Lok Sabha elections 2014 have done
a great service to India by exposing and
debunking the farce perpetrated in the name
of secularism. The sins of the so-called sec-
ularist (euphemism for luring minorities
votes) forces were exposed in their despera-
tion to stop Modi in becoming the Prime
Minister of India.
The US kneels down
"For the wheel is still in spin"...the
Modi wheel is spinning real quick and cov-
ering distances which were considered
unthinkable in the recent past. Not long ago,
the government of the only superpower in
the world, the United States of America had
humiliated the democratically-elected leader
of an Indian state named Gujarat by impos-
ing on him a visa ban. The karma theory
seems to be in full play as the US govern-
ment is almost pleading Modi to visit their
country.
Future course
Most of the political pundits comment-
ing on the Indian politics concur that
Narendra Modi would have to hit the ground
running. The charismatic Gujarati leader
has done even better as he is covering mas-
sive distances in the air even before hitting
the ground. The invitations to the SAARC
leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony
is being considered as one such manoeuvre.
Narendra Modi has his work cut out for
him. He faces enormous challenges to kick-
start the slowing growth trajectory and to
implement his inclusive growth model.
Modi would also have to walk on a tight
rope to keep the aspirations of the ultra-right
BJP and Sangh Parivar adherents in check.
Even while Indian democracy is matur-
ing gradually, no politician can afford to
ignore the intrinsic fissures in this ethno-
religiously diverse country. Narendra
Modi's task is even harder as he has to con-
vince die-hard sceptics who continue to
pigeonhole the Indian Prime Minister as a
Hindutva avatar.
Conclusion
In the end, while it is fine to get carried
away in the euphoria generated by the con-
vincing, unambiguous mandate given to the
Modi-led BJP, it would not be unwise to
consider that Modi phenomenon may turn
out to be a non-starter because of the bag-
gage he has been carrying for more than a
decade. Whether or not the first post-inde-
pendence born PM can live to the expecta-
tions, the 2014 elections have definitely ush-
ered in an era where the governance and not
the vote bank politics will dictate the way
Indian politics is run.
The Third Eye by Rekha Bhattacharjee
Column
M
any Sydneysiders will remember
Mr VB Soni as a very popular
Indian Consul General in Sydney
during 1986-89. Later, he was posted as
Indias Ambassador to Ukraine. Now he is
retired and settled in Delhi. Mr Soni is a
storehouse of knowledge on Eastern bloc
nations.
In the following interview with Rekha
Bhattacharjee, he provides a penetrating view
on the current crisis in Ukraine as the coun-
try goes to polls.
Rekha Bhattacharjee (RB): Mr. Soni
you were Ambassador of India to Ukraine
for five years (1997-2002). What has sud-
denly led to the current tension, which has
the potential to lead to military clashes
between the two Slavic nations?
V.B. Soni (VBS): When the Soviet Union
was broken up in 1991, nobody believed that
the Western powers would stop at that. Their
next target was to push the Western frontier
as close as possible to Russia. Ukraine was
lured into joining hands by promising them to
be a part of European Union (EU). Russia,
sensing this game, ensured that the man at the
helm in that country should do their bidding.
With the forced abdication of President
Yanukovich through the machinations of
rightist/fascist forces egged on by US and
EU, Russia had to take action to ensure that
their soft under belly is properly guarded.
Annexation of Crimea which became a part of
Ukraine only in 1954 had to be ensured, it
being the only all-weather warm water port
for movement of their fleet in the Black Sea
and then on to the Mediterranean Sea. This
show of force was to signal a message that
Russia would not let their backyard to be out-
side their sphere of influence.
RB: Is President Putin making Ukraine
a test case for the larger design to regain
the past glory?
VBS: There can be no doubt about that.
After demonstrating their might in the
Caucuses and Georgia, Ukraine provided a
fertile ground because of the almost 40 per
cent ethnic Russian speaking population in the
bordering Eastern part of the country. They
are bound to be used to strengthen their
Russian President Vladimir Putin
In an interview, VB Soni, former Indian envoy in Sydney
and Ukraine, throws light on the current flashpoint
between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia has a lot at stake in Ukraine
Continued on page 13...
India
New Delhi: Along with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, a total
of 45 ministers, including seven
women and some from BJPs
allies, were also sworn in May
26.
Though portfolios were not
announced, according to news
agencies and TV channels, the top
three cabinet berths have gone to
BJP chief Rajnath Singh (Home),
Arun Jaitley (Finance with addi-
tional portfolio of Defence),
though he failed to win a Lok
Sabha seat, and Sushma Swaraj
(External Affairs). Other BJP big-
wigs in the list of ministers
included Nitin Gadkari, Venkaiah
Naidu, and Maneka Gandhi.
There were also 10 ministers of
state with independent charge
including former army chief Gen
VK Singh. The youngest minister
in the Modi government will be
38-year-old Smriti Irani, TVstar
turned politician, and the oldest,
74-year old Najma Heptulla, who
is the only Muslim in the group
and will get Minorities Affairs
ministry. BJP patriarch LK
Advani would not have liked to
work under Modi, so there was
some talk of making him Speaker
of Lok Sabha. From the allies,
Bihar leader Ram Vilas Paswan,
Ashok Gajapathi Raju of TDP and
Harsimrat Kaur (daughter-in-law
of Punjab CM Prakash Singh
badal) found a place in the min-
istry.
Narendra Modi and his key cabinet colleagues
at the swearing in ceremony May 26.
Tony Abbott
congratulates Modi
on his success
Message from PM
Abbott to the Indian
community in Australia
I
spoke to PM-elect Modi on the night
of his election and congratulated him
on his electoral success. I am look-
ing forward to working with him. I
invited Prime Minister Modi to the G20
Summit later this year and to visit
Australia.
The Indian community has become an
integral part of our Australian story. I
acknowledge the strong friendship
between Australia and India, particular-
ly the people-to-people links we share.
Since the early 1980s, when I spent
three months living in India, Australia
and India have grown significantly clos-
er together. There are around 400,000
Australians of Indian origin and I pay
tribute to the significant contributions
they make to our country.
Modern Australia is unimaginable
without them.
The Prime Minister also tweeted his
congratulations to PM-elect Modi, who
in turn responded.
Tony Abbott@TonyAbbottMHR
Ive spoken to @narendramodi and
congratulated him on his success. I look
forward to strengthening ties between
India and Australia
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
@TonyAbbottMHR Thank You Mr.
Abbott. I look forward to a bright future
for India-Australia relations.
By Karam Ramrakha
N
arendra Modi's victory signals
People Power, the essence of democ-
racy. Modi, a charismatic, and to the
West enigmatic leader, looms large to us,
children of the Vedic faith, as the hope of an
ancient and sacred land. It is fitting that it is
an Ex Chai Wallah and not some prince like
Rahul Gandhi born with a silver spoon in the
mouth who will lead India.
India has to build from grass roots. The
top has always failed India.
In pre-Independence India the best went
into politics. Today, it is a motley lot who
seem to make no grassroots impact. Gone are
those halcyon days when a Mahatma would
scour the Bhangi colonies with his own
broom and offer to sweep their detritus.
Yes, scoffs a foreigner to me, how can
India with so many brilliant people rely on
this Modi who has no background, and who
is nothing. I googled him on the internet and
he is not even educated, he says. That, of
course, is a question that intrigues the West
and the UPA losers in India. How can a man,
One Man, swoop on them out of seemingly
nowhere and earn an unprecedented majority,
and against all odds.
Press on, Modi Saheb. You have the fate
of a billion people in your hands. And show
them what a Hindu can do for the World.
As a 14 year old I listened enthralled as
Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny" speech wafted
into Fiji over All India Radio on our home
radio and his immortal words will live in our
hearts forever.
In the Northern Hemisphere in Delhi and
London, soul capitals of Indians of my gen-
eration, the month of May heralds a joyous
song-filled spring, Basant Ritu, but for us in
the Southern Hemisphere it signals autumn of
trees shedding their leaves and waiting for
winter. But for us Indians of Fiji, we "cele-
brated" what we call "Girmit" Day, 135
years since the first crop of Indentured
labourers from India landed in Fiji on 14
May 1879. On this very day 27 years ago Col
Sitiveni Rabuka staged a violent military
coup in Fiji's Parliament to dislodge a demo-
cratically elected, but Indian based govern-
ment.
Controversy rages as to whether it ulti-
mately was for our good that we escaped
India with all its problems. The British, ever
conscious of Indias power, fiercely
cocooned the I-taukei from us Indians and
took every opportunity to create strife and
divisions between each other - separate
schools, separate laws and apartheid which
continuously stressed I-taukei ownership and
hegemony over land and sea.
To understand Fiji today and for me to
predict what may happen in the promised
September elections you have to appreciate
and understand that perilous position of
Indians in Fiji. On the other hand, while
Independence freed the indigenes from
British patronage and for once allowed them
to control their own lives, enters Vorege
Bainimarama, Commander at large, who has
"frozen" Fiji for some eight years (6
December 2006 and onwards) into a military
dictatorship.
The West has shunned him, especially as
he had the nerve to exile NZ and Oz
Ambassadors. Today he has stepped down,
become an ordinary civilian, formed his own
political party Fiji First, and will offer him-
self to the public at large.
It is difficult to assess which way the I-
taukei will vote but I predict that many will
vote for Vorege. He has a stable past; he has
military support and the military is still the
largest and most powerful force in Fiji. From
2006 Vorege has their support and that sup-
port will continue. As for land use, so vital to
a nation's existence, will Vorege open land
leasing to people outside Fiji, notably the
ubiquitous Chinese.
Fiji is a richly endowed country, enjoys a
Hub Place in the Pacific and is foremost
among Pacific islands, thanks to Indian toil
and sweat.
Karam C Ramrakha, an ex Fiji MP, is
now a practising Barrister and Solicitor. He
may be contacted on (02) 98082760 or email
karamcramrakha@gmail.com.
Some other ministers
Ananth Kumar Parliamentary affairs and additional charge of
chemicals and fertilizers
Nitin Gadkari Surface transport ministry and shipping ministry
Sadanand Gowda Railways ministry
Venkaiah Naidu Urban development ministry and parliamentary
affairs
Ravi Shankar Prasad Telecom ministry, law and justice ministry
Maneka Gandhi Women and child development ministry
Smriti Irani - Human resource development ministry
Radha Mohan Singh Agriculture ministry
Ram Vilas Paswan Food and civil supplies ministry
Uma Bharati Union minister for water resources and Ganga
Rajnath, Jailtey, Sushma lead Modi cabinet
Indias tryst with destiny changes
its course with Modi
5,000 people, a veritable who's who of India, attended Modi's swearing in ceremony on
the grounds of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
India
New Delhi: Leading an innova-
tive and blistering campaign,
Narendra Modi won a landslide
victory for his BJP in the multi-
phase Lok Sabha elections held
over April and May. He had
promised to usher in a new era
to bring forth dynamic changes
and transform Indian economy,
putting behind the previous
regimes policy paralysis and
gargantuan scams.
BJP won 283 out of 543 seats
in the Lok Sabha -- the first time
since 1984 that a single party
enjoyed a majority. With its
allies in the National Democratic
Front (NDA), BJP can boast
taking 336 seats. The United
Progressive Alliance (UPA), led
by the Indian National
Congress, managed a bare 58
seats, 44 of which were won by
the Congress, its worst perform-
ance ever. Congress chief Sonia
Gandhi and and Rahul Gandhi,
who led the party campaign,
accepted responsibility for the
defeat but have failed to chart a
course to revive the party.
T
he first fallout of
Modi wave was
seen in Bihar
where Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar took
moral responsibility of
his party's rout in the
state and resigned from
the top post. Jitan Ram
Manjhi, a Mahadalit
leader, replaced him.
After the election
drubbing of the two
regional powerhouses
Mulayam Singh
Yadavs Samajwadi
Party (SP) and
Mayawatis Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar
Pradesh, came the revamp.
The BSP chief sacked all zonal
coordinators of the party and dis-
solved all frontal organisations and
zonal and district units, while chief
minister Akhilesh Yadav sacked 36
party leaders, who held posts of
chairman, vice-chairman and advi-
sor in different government bodies.
Those sacked included 32 leaders of
cabinet minister or minister of state
rank.
In J&K, Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah said the defeat of the ruling
Congress-National Conference
alliance in all the six Lok Sabha con-
stituencies has shocked him. Even
his father, Farooq Abdullah lost.
From the states satraps,
Jayalalitha withstood the Modi wave
in Tamil nadu, as did Mamata
Banerjee in West Bengal and Biju
Patnaik in Odisha.
Washington: The US came full
circle May 26 as after shunning
Narendra Modi for over a
decade, President Barack Obama
Monday vowed to work closely
together with the new Indian
prime minister "for years to
come". "We look forward to
working closely together with
the new government to continue
to strengthen and expand the
US-India strategic partnership
for years to come," the White
House said in a message of con-
gratulations from Obama.
As the two leaders "agreed
in their call after the election,
as the world's two
largest democracies,
India and the US
share a deep bond and
commitment to promoting eco-
nomic opportunity, freedom,
and security for our people and
around the world", it said.
Obama was quick to acknowl-
edge Modi's "resounding" victo-
ry in the Indian election and
effectively ended the visa ban on
him for his alleged role or inac-
tion during the 2002 Gujarat
riots with an invitation to visit
Washington. Secretary of State
John Kerry echoed the invitation
a couple of days later.
Since then, other US offi-
cials including Washington's
first Indian-American point per-
son for South Asia Nisha Desai
Biswal have voiced US keenness
to engage Modi.
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi was set to meet
Tuesday his Pakistani counterpart
Nawaz Sharif and other leaders from
the South Asian countries in one of
his first engagements after taking
charge.
Modi will be meeting all leaders
from the Saarc countries as also the
Mauritius prime minister but it is his
meeting with Sharif that has aroused
the maximum interest in the media
due to the troubled relationship
between the two countries over the
years.
The bilateral relationship has
been bedevilled by what India views
as Pakistan's hesitation in taking
action against the perpetrators of the
26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
Before his departure to India,
Sharif was reported by the Pakistani
media as saying that he was carrying
a message of peace and will discuss
all matters with the Indian leader-
ship.
As a goodwill gesture, he
ordered the release of 151 Indian
prisoners captured by Pakistan. He
had withstood pressure from the mil-
itary establishment and accepted
Modis invitation to the swearing in.
There was a sense of anticipation
among the people of both countries
over Sharif's meeting with Modi.
Other neighbouring nations
leaders who weres scheduled to meet
Modi included Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, and Sri Lankan
President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Some
Tamil leaders including Chief
Minister Jayalalitha have criticized
the invite to Rajapaksa.
Contd from pg 11...
ambition.
RB: What are the special fea-
tures of Eastern Ukraine?
VBS: The Eastern part is where
major mines and metals are located.
It has facilities for heavy machine
building, shipbuilding, manufactur-
ing of turbines and aircraft engines
and production of power plants. The
other product range includes produc-
ing carrier rockets, satellites and
space research equipment. Ukraine
is a big producer of military equip-
ment, including tanks, military
transport aircrafts, SAM complexes
and optical equipment. Antonov air-
crafts and aircraft design bureaus are
strategic sectors.
Kharkov is where their huge tank
factory operates from. Ukraine
exported some 320 T-80 UD tanks
worth $500 million to Pakistan from
this plant more than a decade back.
Dnepropetrovsk is the heart of the
space industry. It is also a key base
for developing electronic industry
and other sophisticated technology
which caters to the requirement of
Russias MIR Space stations. From
this it will be evident that bulk of the
economic activity is concentrated in
East Ukraine whereas the West has
no matching contribution to make to
the nations exchequer.
RB: What are the other major
differences that divide the East
from the West?
VBS: Bulk of the West has
Roman Catholic population whereas
in the East the dominating religious
faith practised is Russian Orthodox.
Ethnic Ukrainians from the West
speak the language which is derived
from words from neighbouring
Polish, Slovakian, Hungarian and
German whereas those hailing from
the East have predominantly Russian
as their spoken language. Otherwise,
customs and cultural practices are
common to both the languages.
Basically it is West Ukraines quest
for maintaining separate identity,
distinct from Russia that is the issue.
RB: Do you think Russia has
been unreasonable and what do
you think the future holds for the
region?
VBS: The West must acknowl-
edge that Russia has legitimate secu-
rity concerns which must be
addressed. If Ukraine falls outside
their sphere of influence then their
Western border which is currently
about 1200 km from Poland would
be reduced to mere striking distance
of 500 odd km form Ukraine. This
would be unacceptable to them.
What Putin is asking for is a more
federal structure for various regions
in Ukraine to have some semblance
of autonomy in which they can be
influenced. They certainly do not
want Ukraine to have defence ties
with the EU/US.
RB: Finally, would Ukraine be
divided into East and West perhaps
along the Dniper River which runs
North-South almost through the mid-
dle of the country?
VBS: I hope not. That would be
disastrous for the country. They
have much more in common than
issues that divide them. It is my feel-
ing that perhaps Russia would not go
to the extent of encouraging the eth-
nic Russians to go whole hog along
to force issues. The current
brinkmanship must end to bring nor-
malcy. The only way forward is to
continue dialogue directly without
the outsiders fishing in troubled
waters.
Modi shapes a stunning win for BJP
Modi wave: Nitish blown away,
Mulayam, Maya lick wounds
Obama vows to work with
Modi 'for years to come'
Modi meets Sharif, SAARC leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with his Pakistani
counterpart Nawaz Sharif after taking oath of office at
Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
President Obama: to think that US had
failed to revoke Modis visa ban in place
since the Gujarat riots.
Russia has a lot at stake in Ukraine
Nitish Kumar Mulayam Singh Mayawati
Column
By K. Raman
G
day young Royal mate, Prince
George (future King George VII),
we welcome you whole heartedly
to the Antipodes, the exotic Down Under.
Next to Kerala this is the Gods own
country! As I write this, the young prince
with his parents and entourage is
criscrossing Australia at a hectic pace.
We are sure you the Royal Trio will
enjoy your ten day sojourn here, away
from the grey, unfriendly, either sultry or
biting cold weather of your home land,
which is a different kettle of fish to this
place climatically. Why not the trio of
you settle here permanently!
Sitting pretty on his mums firmly held
hands clasped together, with a 180 degree
view around, Prince George began his
Royal tour on 16.4.14 precisely at 6.44
a.m. In spite of the brilliantly attired
Princess Mum Kate, in a canary yellow
Roksandra Illicnic, well-tailored classy
dress (a cheeky William however said
she looked like a ripe Woolgoolga
banana in her yellow dress - poor com-
ment made by Your Highness!), Prince
George was the prime attraction of the
huge crowd present wherever the Royal
caravan travelled. The baby George the
piper was followed by the large group of
followers. He attracted the large crowd
like iron filings to a magnet. My dad
used to say of the Prince of Wales,
Edward the VIII, the dashing and flam-
boyant uncrowned King who abdicated
for the lady he loved, was such a charmer
that aristocratic charming lady damsels of
India, swamped and swooned in his com-
pany. His brother King George V1 (great
great grandfather of our modern day
charmer George VII, was quite the oppo-
site compared to his brother. It is okay if
young George had inherited the genes of
charm and flamboyance of his Great
Great Grand uncle (Edward VIII).
The Podgy and Tubby blond haired
George the gorgeous even put to shade
in popularity stakes his parents who are a
classy pair, second and third in line to
occupy the British throne ahead of
Georges bronze medal status with effort-
less ease. While on tour, as a sort of
vanishing act he had been occasionally
missing from public eye, to indulge in his
naps and siestas, nappy changes and feed-
ing on his special formula milk, ably
looked after by his now famous nanny,
49 years old Spanish senorita Maria
Teresa Turrion Borralla. She upholds the
philosophy that no child is naughty - so
no smacking! The nanny outwardly looks
a bit stern and matronish, keeping up
with the Royal family protocol and tradi-
tion, but she is said to be very fond of
children and in particular the darling
Prince George. The prince will love
Paella given the Nannys background of
choice and taste of food. If everything
goes well Maria would become Dame
Maria, in a few years when George
ascends the throne. There has been all
along a huge following of the British
Royalty particularly in the ex-colonies of
Britain and so far the popularity and hero
worship of the Royals has not diminished
the least. What makes them so lovable
even though we were treated as slave
subjects held under their thumb for cen-
turies? Here in Australia if the massive
turnout of people, old and young alike on
a working day is an indication of the pop-
ularity of the royalty, it is certainly quite
healthy. There is however a group pres-
ent here who profess for cessation of this
country from the British motherhood and
be known as a full-fledged Republic.
People who love the mother country,
staunch Royalists and youngsters were
attracted by the cute prince and were
crowding around him whenever he
appeared in public briefly though. It
looks like the pendulum has swung in
favour of Royals as against the Republic.
Royal watchers say George is a placid
child, though he has his moods, grumpi-
ness and little bouts of tantrums with few
smiles lacing his variant behaviour traits.
After all he is not even one year old.
Understandably being a pom he sports a
customary firm the Pommy stiff upper
lip. He is eight months old and on
16.4.14, received his first marriage pro-
posal from Ruby Cate Blitz (11 months
old) of the Shaky isle. She is a cute
young girl who expressed her wish, in a
novel way by wearing a T-shirt with the
printed invitation Marry me George, in
big bold red letters. For that occasion
Ruby was well dressed with a tutu and
sporting a gorgeous smile right across the
face. The Prince dad and Princess mum
(may become her future mother and
father in laws?) were happy and com-
mented that Ruby is beautiful, but the
proposal was not accepted in so many
words, quick smart. People who had met
the young Prince are addressing him as
Gorgeous George. Already magazines
are covered with Georges photos, I can
assure you he is photogenic, and this is
only just the beginning. He looks intrep-
id, and this dashing young charmer is
bound to break the hearts of many
damsels before he settles down with a
lady of his choice. People close to him
say he is mischievous, and cherubic.
According to his father, who prepares his
solid food regularly, he is a good eater,
but does not enjoy vegetables at all. His
popularity is such that 450 journalists are
following him everywhere he goes during
this trip. The prince is never out of their
watchful gaze. He has eight teeth and is
very imminent to graduate from crawling
to walking. The million dollar question
is; will he take his first steps on
Australian soil? Betting agencies may be
working overtime on this!
He is a Cusp Baby being born pre-
cariously close between Cancer and Leo
(in fact he is a Cancer born) his ruling
planet will be the Sun; this controlling
planet is in the 8th house of his birth
chart. Cancer born is good leaders, and
fine rulers, if they become one to adorn
the Royal crown. His father and Grand
Ma (Diana) are Cancer born and we
know well of their popularity and other
virtues. They are conventional and con-
servational in their life style. We have to
wait and watch how George turns out to
the prediction already made by wise
sooth-sayers. He has already begun his
Royal engagement - but no walk about
and shaking hands- in Auckland (NZ)
very recently by mixing with a group of
ten babies (6 girls and 4 boys of similar
age and different ethnic backgrounds) and
he came out good, this being his first
such engagement. He may carry out at
least 20,000 important public appearances
over the course of his life. This first pub-
lic engagement was a giant step for this
young VIP who has only started crawling
just now. With no trace of show off, he
behaved normal like the other ten sub-
jects of the king. The privileged ten par-
ticipants were not however star struck,
though they reached historical status. He
however has his life mapped out by oth-
ers at the very moment he arrived on
earth, even grooming him for future king-
ship of Britain straight away; he has no
clue of it yet. Business people are taking
full toll of Georges popularity. The spe-
ciality Rachel Riley Dungaree he wore
when he took part in the play group ses-
sion (75 pounds price tag) is a sold out
item. Notice the George effect taking
place. So too is his very popular beaten
cooper coloured kangaroo Back Pack,
this too is a long ago sold out item.
Expert baby watchers are in force
watching George and verdicts in unison
that this charmer George is much more
gorgeous than either of his parents were
at his age; Bill was pasty, while
Catherine was a chubster. George is per-
fectly proportioned package. The future
King George VII looks like a monarch
worth waiting for!
As a young toddler, 'Prince charming'
George continues his reign of cuteness,
unaware and unmindful of what goes
on...Hail George the prince charming. He
is born to rule Brittania. As far as I am
concerned By George they have made
me a Royalist
Artist: Sajjive
Bollywood
By Neeru Saluja
K
angana Ranaut is the reign-
ing Queen of Bollywood.
Its been an eight year jour-
ney for a small town girl to
become one of the top actresses.
Kangana has always made a smart
choice by picking unconventional
roles but with her stellar perform-
ance in Queen, she has won the
jackpot.
She was in Melbourne recently
for the Indian Film Festival where
she was awarded the Best Actress
award for Queen. At a press con-
ference organised by the Indian
Film Festival, Kangana stole the
show with her refreshing frank-
ness. Dressed in a Burberry gown,
she looked dazzling from head to
toe.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. In every movie you portray
a unique character. Be it the sim-
pleton middle-class girl of Queen,
a superwoman in Krish 3 or a
killer in Revolver Rani. What kind
of preparation do you have to do
for every disparate role?
Kangana: It takes a lot of hard
work at many levels. Sometimes
the challenge is to get the emotion
or character right, sometimes the
challenge is to get the look right.
For Revolver Rani and Krish, it
was all about getting the look
right. But with others its the emo-
tional journey of the characters.
Q. When we talk about
Bollywood it as old as Hollywood.
Then why is that women are still
having a secondary position? And
how are actresses like you and
Vidya a step ahead by doing
women centric films?
Kangana: I just feel what we
make in India or anywhere in the
world is a direct reflection of the
society. Its true that everything is
a bit regressive everywhere and it
is hard to sell women centric films
and concepts, especially when
there are films where women are
getting tortured and die in the end
after a nervous breakdown. I think
we have to get more innovative
with our ideas. Films like Queen
and Revolver Rani are media high
concept films and whenever some-
thing new is tried it takes some
time to grow on people. I have
been lucky with that. Actresses
like Deepika and Sonakshi are try-
ing many things now and Im sure
many such films will be seen.
Q. Your latest film Revolver
Rani was a 360 degree change
from Queen. Which character is
closer to heart?
Kangana: Well, none of them.
Both of them have psychological
disorders. One has confidence
issues and I have never had prob-
lems with my confidence and the
other is a psychotic killer which
Im not! (laughs)
Q. You also co-wrote the dia-
logues for Queen. How was the
experience?
Kangana: I think its been
wonderful and specially working
with someone like Vikas who was
so open to other artists contribut-
ing in many ways than just what
they are hired for. When he got me
on board he told me that its a girl
story and more than an actress he
needs a partner. He was keen to
know what the landscapes of a
womans mind are. It was good to
contribute in that way.
Q. The ending of the film
Queen was unique when the
actress rejects the actor. Is this a
change coming in Bollywood
films?
Kangana: This change is com-
ing in the society and thats why
such films are being accepted.
Queen is an important film as it
shows the real mirror to the socie-
ty. My personal opinion is that
females are shown in a negative
manner in Bollywood whether it is
as item girls or using vulgar lan-
guage. We need such films that
show about womens rights, pow-
ers and self-respect.
Queen is not a film about
rejecting a man. The turning point
in the film comes when she pays
for her own coffee bill. Girls can
get self-respect only when their life
priority is not marriage but equali-
ty in every relationship. This film
is important for our country and
women.
Q. How does Kangana define
herself?
Kangana: Im a girl of today;
I believe in self respect and
myself. Im clear about my future
and dreams. My approach to life is
that life is short and its not only
about acting or films. I also want
to write a book and make a film.
Now dont ask me which book Im
writing! I also want to make a film
and do much more.
Q. Back home, you are quite
reluctant to attend award cere-
monies. What made you fly all the
way to Melbourne to attend the
Indian Film Festival awards?
Kangana: Eight years ago at
the start of my act-
ing career, I was
meant to travel
to Australia for
a role that fell
through. Ever
since Ive
seen the
world but
had never
made it to
Australia.
Kangana Ranaut dazzles at IFF
Melbourne Awards 2014.
Kangana had two diametrically opposite roles in her recent films 'Queen and Revolver Rani.
Kangana has always made a smart choice by picking unconventional roles but with
her stellar performance in Queen, she has won the jackpot. She was in Melbourne
recently to receive the best actress award at the Indian Film Festival.
Bollywood
I
ts a dream come true for every
Bollywood fan to meet the god-
father of Indian cinema. I
couldnt believe my luck when I
got an invite to attend the Indian
Film Festival of Melbourne. Not
because I got an invite, Ive been
covering the festival for a decade
in Sydney. The reason for my
excitement was the legend
Amitabh Bachchan, who was com-
ing to Melbourne to open the festi-
val!
With dreams in my eyes, I
boarded the plane from Sydney to
Melbourne. My co-passenger spot-
ted the Indian film magazine in my
hand and couldnt resist striking a
conversation. So what takes you
to Melbourne? she asked. Without
thinking much, I replied,
Amitabh Bachchan. The pretty
Asian lady gasped in delight.
You know him? I asked surpris-
ingly. Of course, in Slumdog
Millionaire the young actor
jumped in shit just to get his photo
of Amitabh autographed! You are
going to meet the superstar of
Bollywood!
Such is the craze of our nation
including myself for Amitabh
Bachchan. Every Sunday, thou-
sands of fans stand outside his
house just to catch a glimpse of
him. The scene was no different at
the Melbourne airport where fans
forgot about taking selfies and fell
to the floor to kiss his feet.
However jetlagged he was, the 71
year old actor pushed his own trol-
ley with a smile on his face and
waved to his fans. No wonder he
can give a run for money to the
actors half his age.
Yes, he had finally reached
Australia to meet his fans. For in
2009, Bachchan refused to visit
Australia to receive an honorary
doctorate in protest against the
attacks on Indian students before
that. Once the controversy settled,
he made a quiet visit to Brisbane to
accept the honour from
Queensland University of
Technology in helping
to patch the sour relations. In
2011, he was in Sydney for the
shooting of The Great Gatsby
but except for praising the
Sydney Opera House on his twit-
ter account, his fans were left
high and dry.
But here he was in Melbourne
in the month of May in flesh and
blood standing elegantly in front of
me and addressing the media. The
winner of three national awards,
four doctorates, 14 Filmfare
awards and countless awards and
honours from around the world,
Amitabh was finally here to open
the Indian film festival and receive
the International Screen Icon
Award for his magnificent contri-
butions to world cinema.
Dressed in a purple velvet
jacket and black trousers, Amitabh
couldnt help expressing his grati-
tude towards the Victorian govern-
ment and Australia for their warm
welcome. The hospitality, the
grace with which Ive been warm-
ly welcomed is extremely laud-
able. Im so proud and happy that
I chose to be here. Im delighted
that Melbourne is hosting the
Indian film festival and delighted
they chose me to be present during
the opening.
He strongly felt that cinema is
a builder of bridges between cul-
tures. When we sit inside the
dark hall, we never ask the person
sitting next to us, which caste,
creed colour or religion she or he
is, but we enjoy the same product,
we laugh at the same joke, we
enjoy the same song. I hope that
there will be many more opportu-
nities to visit this beautiful country
and act as an ambassador and
bridge to bring together two cul-
tures.
True to his words, Amitabh
acted as a true ambassador of his
country and headed off to have
lunch with the Governor. He also
visited the iconic Melbourne crick-
et ground on a lunch invitation
from the Victorian government.
An avid cricket fan himself, Big B
happily posed in front of a photo-
graph of Sir Don Bradman and
Sachin Tendulkar. Among hun-
dreds of imagery and record, this
framed picture is one of the origi-
nal photograph historic!
claimed Amitabh on his blog.
Last year, Indian cinema cele-
brated its centenary. Out of the
100 films that topped the list, more
than 50 have been dominated by
Amitabh Bachchan.
The angry young man has
defined Indian cinema with his
impeccable acting and rich voice.
Tuxed and bowed for the opening
night, Amitabh inaugurated the
festival with a 3D version of his
evergreen hit Sholay.
He delighted his fans with his
poetry, lines from his movie
Kabhi Kabhi and talked about the
making and success of Sholay. But
the best part was when he recipro-
cated the love coming from his
screaming fans. You have always
been great support. Many occa-
sions in my life I know that there
has been a great flow of love, care
and affection. I particularly
remember those days when I was
on the death bed during the shoot-
ing of Coolie and I cannot possi-
bly thank all of you that were
praying for my life and it is a great
debt that I will never be able to
repay. Thank you so much for all
your love.
We all grew up watching
Amitabhs films - for some he was
the action man, while for others
their romantic hero. Even when he
took a sabbatical, he came back
with a bang by making his debut
on the small screen. People started
having dinner early just to watch
Kaun Banega Crorepati with
their family. For the next genera-
tion, he is the Bhootnath Uncle.
Now I understand why actress
Simi Grewal said the nation has a
continuing love affair with this
man.
Never before was any star
bestowed so much love by his
fans. Never before have I heard an
actor thanking everyone from
directors, producers, co-artists to a
special mention to the spotboys in
an award speech with such humili-
ty and dignity. And not to forget,
he was quicker than all us tech
heads making instantaneous blog
entries with photos, updating his
Facebook account as he took self-
ies with the whole audience at the
awards night!
Truly said, there are actors,
there are stars and then there is
Amitabh Bachchan!
The legendary
Amitabh Bachchan
came to Melbourne
to open the Indian
film festival. NEERU
SALUJA pens a
paean for the man
with whom the
Indians have an
everlasting love affair
Bollywood
By Neeru Saluja
E
veryday, Mumbais famous dab-
bawallas deliver 200,000 tiffin
boxes to office goers. There are
5000 dabbawallas who collect freshly
made food from homes and deliver them
to offices. Their transport mode is bicy-
cles, carts and local trains. A tradition
since 125 years, dabbawalas make less
than one mistake in every six million
deliveries.
The movie Lunchbox is about that one
tiffin that gets delivered to the wrong
address. Though the delivery is wrong,
the connection is right. A young neglect-
ed housewife connects to an older man
facing retirement through a series of notes
delivered with food in the lunchbox.
Their notes gradually evolve into a series
of intimate little confessions about their
loneliness, memories, regrets, fears and
small joys.
In 2007, director Ritesh Batra set out
to make a documentary on the dabbawal-
las and became friends with them. Instead
of making the documentary, he found
himself inspired to make a film revolving
around them.
I started immersing myself with their
daily routine, and as we became friends
they started telling me stories of the
households they visited since decades. I
became more interested in the people than
the dabbawallas. I started writing their
stories and then wanted to make a film
about it.
As it was a story that revolved
around dabbawallas, it had to be about
food. Its a story about a woman who tries
to fix her marriage through her cooking.
She puts an extra effort in making her
husbands lunch but it gets delivered to
someone else, says Ritesh.
Though its been Riteshs debut film,
it has already been screened at the 2013
Cannes Film Festival, Toronto
International Film Festival, Indian Film
Festival of Melbourne and will be shown
at the Sydney Film Festival. The movie
has won him several awards in India and
abroad. I never imagined the film will
do so well. When you are making a film,
you are so engaged in the day-to-day
activities. Then it was just about getting
the film done. Lunchbox has been a
blessing for me tells Ritesh.
The intense execution of the
talented cast is an integral part of
the success of the film. People
often ask me about the choice
of my talented cast. For the
characters of Saajan and
Shaikh, I always had
Irrfan and Nawazuddin
Siddiqui in mind, but
Nimrat Kaur was select-
ed after four months of
auditions. All of them
were wonderful actors and worked very
hard for the film. We started working on
the film 4-5 months before the shooting
started. It was a real joy and I had a lot of
trust in them. Irrfan put a lot of trust in
me and despite being so busy he took out
a lot of time for me.
Lunchbox is out and out Mumbai film
and depicts the chaos of the city. The
film says a lot about Mumbai as a city.
Ive been born and brought up in Mumbai
though I left it in 1998 to
go to New York, it has
always been close to my
heart. My mum used to
send food to my dad
through the dabbawalla
system. We started shoot-
ing three months in
advance in a small apart-
ment in Mumbai. Nimrat
cooked in the kitchen and
all the actors were
involved in the produc-
tion design. We actually
followed the dabbawallas
and shot them in docu-
mentary style. We filmed
a series of scenes on the
local trains. The movie
did very well in Mumbai
and since then it has been
travelling.
It was the kind of the
film we thought can trav-
el. That is why I wanted
an international collaboration. We had an
American cinematographer and editor, a
German sound engineer and composer to
make it a universal product, says Ritesh.
Despite creating waves international-
ly, Ritesh has his feet firmly on the
ground. I strongly believe people come
and make the film. They bring their sto-
ries, their lives to it, says Ritesh who
always wanted to make films adding that
the industry has been kind to him.
While Ritesh spends half his time in
New York and half in India, he is enjoy-
ing the success of Lunchbox and is in no
hurry to make another film right now. I
have no plans for my next project as yet.
Ive been spending a lot of time reading.
Im also spending a lot of time with press
and attending film festivals. Im in no
hurry to figure out what to do next. Right
now, Im just content spending time with
my 19 months old daughter, smiles
Ritesh. The Lunchbox opens on July 10 in
Australian cinemas by Madman Films.
Irrfan Khan is the main lead in the film, and is supported by
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, another fine actor.
The leading lady of Lunchbox, Nimrat Kaur.
Inspired by Bombays dabbawalas, Ritesh Batras Lunchbox
has been on the film festival circuits and will be seen at the
Sydney Film Festival after which it will be in theatres.
In 2007, director
Ritesh Batra set out
to make a
documentary on the
dabbawallas, but
ended up making his
debut with a
feature film.
Community
By Vijay Badhwar
T
he year-long
S w a m i
Vivekanandas
150th birth anniver-
sary celebrations cul-
minated in May with
the inauguration of the
first phase of
Vivekananda Memorial
Community Facility at
Ermington. It was a three-day-long celebra-
tion (May 2-4) divided between two venues
the formal and religious functions at the
newly inaugurated facility and cultural func-
tions at the Strathfield Town Hall, both ven-
ues overflowing with devotees.
The new building no longer looked like
a building site as volunteers worked day and
night in the last month to line the rough
ends with pot plants and a grass carpet cov-
ering the upper level concrete slab. It con-
verted into a viewing deck with magnificent
views of the Olympic grounds, the City of
Parramatta and beyond. People lined along
the glass balustrade to admire the views and
basked in the sun after the ceremonies with
the satisfaction that a dream had come true.
On Friday early morning, sanctification
ceremony started in the new hall. Later dur-
ing the day, formal proceedings commenced
to thank the people involved with design
and construction of the community facility,
including the Parramatta City Council
Mayor John Chedid and Councillor John
Pierre Abood who understood the Vedanta
vision and made it possible for the project to
proceed.
Paul Notholt, Secretary, in his welcom-
ing speech, gave a background of the histo-
ry of Vedanta movement in Australia - how
it started from the residence of Mrs and Mr
Ramakrishna and developed into a large
community with the arrival of Swami
Sridharananda in October 2000. It was not
to give another religion to the Australian
society, but a new way of life, a more valu-
able kind of contribution, he said.
Swami Atmeshananda, Swami Chandrashekharananda, Lord Mayor John Chedid
and Mr Pierre Abood at the ceremonies.
Maha Sinnathamby, president, Vedanta Centres of Australia, and his wife, honoured
by Swami Sridharananda.
Mr. & Mrs. Ramakrishna, from whose house Vedanta movement in Australia
started, honoured by Swamiji.
Dr Indu with Promila Gupta in the foreground even as lunch-prasad is served.
The model of the Vivekananda Memorial Community Facility,
the completed first phase of which was inaugurated.
Shiva
Bhatt,
long
standing
flag-bearer
of the
Vedanta
movement,
honoured
by
Swamiji.
Community
Strength is life, weakness is death. Expansion is life,
contraction is death. Love is life, hatred is death, Paul
quoted Swami Vivekananda.
After the lighting of the traditional lamp by dignitaries,
Dr Geoffrey Lee, NSW Member for Parramatta, paid trib-
ute to the Vedanta Centre for the community facility that he
saw grow and grow as he drove past it everyday. He
praised Parramatta for its diversity, a melting pot of many
cultures that made it interesting.
Parramatta City Council Lord Mayor John Chedid made
it known that he had been a staunch supporter for the Centre
since the project started some four years ago. He quoted
Swami Vivekananda who had challenged divisions among
various religions. We can learn from Hinduism, Mr
Chedid said, adding, This Centre exists for the betterment
of all communities and harmony in Australia.
Councillor Abood had attended one of the regular lec-
tures by Swami Sridharananda and realised the common
thread among all religions peace, love and goodwill that is
universally shared.
Maha Sinnathamby, president, Vedanta Centres of
Australia, gave mementos to people involved with the
design and construction of the new facility.
The cultural programmes of bhajans and dances contin-
ued at the Strathfield Town Hall, the highlight being a play
on the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna staged over two
days, produced and directed by accomplished playwright
Ambika Prasad.
It was not all entertainment extravaganza as there were
two sessions devoted to insightful discussions on the practi-
cal relevance of Vedanta in everyday life and Swami
Vivekanandas teachings vis-a-vis contemporary global
issues. The young panellists discussing the latter topic
included a wide spectrum of IT and medical professionals
and their views made some thought provoking observations,
especially with everyday issues of coping with the 24/7
work culture and religious harmony and global peace.
Long-standing senior flag-bearers of the Vedanta move-
ment in Australia Mr Shiva Bhatt, Mrs and Mr
Ramakrishna, Mr Sarat Arora, Dr Brij Sood, Late Mrs
Wilma Spencer from Sydney; Mrs and Mr Iswaran from
Adelaide, Mrs and Mr Sinnathamby and Mrs and Mr
Mallyke from Brisbane; Mrs Venkataraman and her son
from Canberra, Mrs and Mr Gangopadhyay and Mrs and
Mr Paul from Melbourne; Mrs and Mr Lingum and Mrs and
Mr Bethell from Perth were felicitated in a special ceremo-
ny on Saturday morning at the Strathfield Town hall.
The venue moved to the new hall on Sunday morning for
the Consecration Ceremony that included chanting of bha-
jans and havan. More than 300 devotees overflowed on the
spacious balcony outside the hall as the idols were conse-
crated in their new abode.
The Indian High Commissioner in Australia, Mr Biren
Nanda, read a message describing the legacy of Swami
Vivekananda who, he said, had revitalised Hinduism.
As everyone marvelled at the city views from the
Vivekananda Memorial during lunch-prasad, they also
appreciated the vision of Swami Sridharananda who had
coalesced them into a Vedanta Community in the short 13
years since his arrival in Australia. The community will
long remember the realisation of true original nature
through the Centre, a task Swami ji had set upon and
stopped not until the Goal was reached.
A day of rejoicing as a dream comes true.
Vedanta young ones
A young devotee takes a picture of the trio.
Vathsala Pathmanabam and Sarla Thakkar
posing at the event
Community
By Niranjan Deodhar
O
n the morning of the second day
of activities, the Vedanta Centre
hosted a Devotees Convention
and a Youth Panel Discussion at
Strathfield Townhall.
The topic for the speakers at the
Devotees Convention was What Vedanta
in practice, as epitomised by the lives of
Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and
Swami Vivekananda, means to me.
Speakers were invited from each of the
city chapters across Australia and New
Zealand. It was apparent from the presen-
tations that each person had developed
this same thought in their lives in a very
different way - another demonstration of
the fact that each person needs to under-
take their own unique spiritual journey -
as many faiths, so many paths, as
Swami Vivekananda would have said.
Maha Sinnhathamby from Brisbane
opened the day with an impassioned plea
for all to study the Complete Works of
Swami Vivekananda, and in particular his
book called Thoughts of Power.
Sinnhathamby put the momentous occa-
sion of this inauguration in context of the
overall history of the movement, stressed
the importance of satsang (good company)
and sanskar (good upbringing) and ended
on the tremendously positive, empower-
ing and powerful assertion from Vedic
texts Thou Art That!
Raman Sharma from Adelaide spoke
about the importance of the role of the
Guru as well as ones life partner in sup-
porting the spiritual journey. He stressed
on the need for sincerity in belief, the
need to find ones own truth through hon-
est enquiry, avoidance of needless intel-
lectual wrestling, and looking at the world
as a means to attain God, not the other
way around.
Monnay Kumar from Auckland spoke
about the dilemma of organised religion,
and how Swami Vivekananda himself
thought through the advantages and disad-
vantages before embarking on creating the
Ramakrishna Mission. From that he drew
the link to the importance of discipline,
including on temporal matters like money
and funding, in order for institutions to
remain faithful to their purpose and avoid
the pitfalls of organised religion. He
acknowledged the role of education in the
journey to manifest the divinity in us, but
also stressed that education can only pro-
vide the ideas, ultimately salvation has to
be experienced through ones own faith,
effort and thinking.
Jaishankar Venkataraman from
Canberra spoke about the powerful com-
bination of simplicity and relevance of the
holy trio and their teachings. He called out
the Master (Ramakrishna)s sincerity and
focus on experiencing for yourself, His
homely and down to earth parables, the
amazing simplicity of Mothers life, and
also the relevance in the modern era of the
combined understanding of eastern and
western culture that Vivekananda taught
us.
Suresh Ravinutala from Melbourne
reminisced about growing up in an envi-
ronment where thoughts like I am not the
body were being discussed around him
even in his childhood. He laid stress on
mind control, on abhyaas yoga, the diver-
sity of options made available to the spir-
itual seeker through the four yogas, and
also how bhakti yoga could be seen as giv-
ing God our Power of Attorney!
Prof. Samir Chatterjee from Perth cau-
tioned us against the tendency to allow
compartmentalisation of inward vs out-
ward activities in our lives. He stressed
the need for having a robust spiritual
anchor, a global sense of connected des-
tiny, and the need to change ourselves
first before lamenting lack of change in
the world around us. He drew a fascinat-
ing contrast between the globalisation of
the economy on one hand, but the lack of
globalisation in spirituality on the other.
Paul Notholt from Sydney spoke elo-
quently about how the Holy Trio led their
lives to give us an inspiring as well as
attainable path to salvation. He expanded
on the ideals and role models of the Trio
with simple yet profound anecdotes. He
spoke in particular about the worship of
the divine feminine in the form of the
Mother, the renunciation of lust and gold,
the need to include all in our love, and the
importance of separating the person from
the politics when addressing inter commu-
nity and international interactions. He also
highlighted a number of parallels from the
lives of Avatars from other religions and
other parts of the world including Jesus
Christ.
All in all, a very thought-provoking
session. The Holy Trio embodies three
essential elements of our spiritual quest -
absence of ego as exemplified by the Holy
Mother, an inclusive outreach to all of
humanity as demonstrated by The Master
himself, and Swamijis empowering mes-
sage to all of us to have strength and have
faith in oneself.
The second half of the program was a
youth panel discussion, where 10 panelists
dwelt on the relevance of Swami
Vivakanandas work to contemporary
global issues. I had the privilege of facili-
tating this panel discussion and the ques-
tions. It was rewarding for me personally
to see these issues from the lens that the
next generation applies to them, and to
learn from them in the process. I saw
some common themes in their way of
working - humility (they really didnt
want to talk about themselves, only about
their way of thinking.), the importance
of parental influence in creating an inter-
est in spirituality and Vedanta, and a pas-
sion for their beliefs. It was very hearten-
ing to see so many young minds embark-
ing their own journey under the inspiring
guidance of Swami Shridharananda,
Swami Atmeshananda, Swami
Chandrashekharanda and Swami
Sunishthananda.
In the first group of five, Shamindra
spoke about the need to synchronise qual-
itative development with quantitative
progress. I was reminded of Albert
Einsteins quote - not everything that can
be counted, matters, and not everything
that matters, can be counted. Priya spoke
about coping with the 24/7 culture and the
importance of white space in our lives
if we are to aim for a life of contempla-
tion. Isha presented her views on what
religious pluralism really means, how it
can be done right to enable global
peace, and how we should avoid the mis-
guided side of organised religion. Kunal
shared his views on educational policies in
the 21st century and how they should
enable rather than hinder the students
spiritual quest. Pragyaa spoke of Swami
Vivekanandas broad and expansive view
of Humanism - secular yet anchored in
spirituality
In the second session, Abhijit analysed
the contemporary global crisis as to
whether it is economic or attitudinal. He
asked us to guard against the tendency to
externalise blame and look within our-
selves to check our endless desires and
constant yearning for competition and
conflict. Keerthi shared her views on
implementing Swamijis concept of
Service. She developed an eloquent logic
of how and why Karma Yoga can act as a
moral compass in our everyday lives
regardless of profession. Smit spoke pas-
sionately about the need to strive for
greater gender equality and emancipation
of women with a nuanced understanding
of how each one of us can contribute in
the context of modern Australian society.
Abhishek analysed some major issues
addressed by Swami Vivekananda - fun-
damentalism, inequity, drop in spirituali-
ty, racism - bringing out a strong message
of hope behind the seemingly worrying
developments in recent times on these
matters.
Finally, Patricia enlightened us on
Swami Vivekanandas quest for and the
transformation of America - why and how
- including some surprising modern
echoes of work done many decades ago.
In light of the success of this event and
the committed participation from the pan-
elists, the Vedanta Centre will be starting
a Swami Vivekananda Study Circle for
youth interested in continuing this journey
of collaborative thinking. Dear Swami
Shridharanadaji and Swami
Sunishthanandaji, thank you for the
opportunity to assist in the facilitation of
this event!
How devotees relate to Vedanta
As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda,
the Vedanta Center in Sydney organized a Devotees Conference.
Swami Sunishthananda, Swami Chandra Shekhrananda, Swami Atmeshananda and Niranjan Deodhar with youth participants
Community
T
he Attorney-General, George Brandis,
released an exposure draft Bill on the
proposed amendments to the Federal
Government to the Racial Discrimination Act
1975 - specifically in regards to sections 18C,
18D and 18D. He called for submissions on
the draft by 30th April. According to Section
18C, It is unlawful for a person to do an act,
otherwise than in private, if: (1)(a) the act is
reasonably likely, in all circumstances, to
offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate anoth-
er person or a group of people; and (b) the act
is done because of the race, colour or nation-
al or ethnic origin of the other person or some
or all of the people in the group....The pro-
posed changes to the Act include deleting
words such as offends, insults and humili-
ates from Section 18C while only retaining
the words intimidate and vilify.
The Migration Institute of Australia
(MIA) is concerned about the use of racial
stereotypes in Australian national media and
is strongly emphasising the need to protect
Sections 18C and 18D of the 1975 Act with-
out amendment. The proposed amendments
to the Act will disenfranchise the very people
originally intended to be protected under the
Act, according to MIA National President,
Angela Chan. An amended Act will not pro-
vide adequate protection for people who are
the most vulnerable to racial discrimination
and racial abuse in the community.
Stereotyping people on the grounds of
their ethnicity is simply another form of
racial discrimination which should not be tol-
erated, said Ms Chan.
The Indian community has reacted strong-
ly to the proposed amendment as it may give
some people the right to say things that can be
racially hurtful. George Brandis statement,
that bigots have the right of speech is per-
ceived as an act dragging Australia to its dark
past.
Sanjeev Bhakri, Secretary, Hindu Council
of Australia, says: We strongly believe that
these amendments are unnecessary and
should not be done. The existing sections of
the Act do not put any undue limitation on the
rights of free speech as long as it is factual
and made in public interest.
The two new sections added are not
clear enough and may be used in a wrong
way. We submit that Section 18C should be
retained in its current form in order for our
culturally diverse society to function in har-
mony respecting the rule of law. If any
changes contemplated, they should be to fur-
ther strengthen the current provisions in the
Act. According to Shubha Kumar,
President, India Club, the proposed changes
threaten the harmony of community and well-
being of
Australians of
diverse back-
g r o u n d s .
India Club
has expressed
opposition to
any such
changes to
the RDA sec-
tion 18 that
could weaken
p r o t e c t i o n s
against racially
charged attitudes,
stimulating con-
flict, resentment
or hatred in our civilized society, she wrote
in her submission.
Vish Viswanathan, Federation of
Australian Indian Associations, wrote: It
may appear that the proposed changes by the
Federal Government are simple and it may
not affect our Indian community. But there is
a clear danger in the offing that such changes
if endorsed by the Australian Parliament will
encourage some elements of the wider com-
munity to possibly misuse in the name of
Freedom of Speech and get away easily
unless legally challenged.
Dr Yadu Singh, Cardiologist, found the
proposed amendments disturbing as it would
allow for almost any racist speech you can
imagine.
Whether something is reasonably like-
ly to vilify is to be determined by the stan-
dards of an ordinary reasonable member of
the Australian community, not by the stan-
dards of any particular group within the
Australian community. That means that the
vilification will not be judged by the standard
of whatever racial minority is being vilified.
Instead, the ordinary reasonable Australian,
meaning thereby White Anglo-Saxon
Australians, will decide whether the minority
groups are racially vilified or not.
To intimidate is to cause fear of phys-
ical harm according to the Exposure draft.
Who decides whether a member of a minori-
ty racial group should have a reasonably
likely chance of feeling fear of physical
harm? Obviously, that too will be decided
for them by someone else, not themselves.
That is plainly unacceptable, grotesque and
wrong, he said.
Mala Mehta, Co-Ordinator, Indo-Aus Bal
Bharti Vidyalaya, wrote, These changes
would shield and privilege behaviour which
promotes conflict, resentment or hatred
between people and enshrine what the
Attorney-General, Senator George Brandis,
has called the right to be a bigot.
Bawa Singh Jagdev, Secretary, National
Sikh Council Of Australia, wrote, We firm-
ly believe that it should continue to be
unlawful to "offend, insult or humiliate"
based on race or ethnicity and the act should
not be amended.
The NSW Member for Parramatta, Dr
Geoff Lee, was opposed to the proposed
changes.
While I strongly believe that freedom of
speech and freedom of expression are essen-
tial elements of a liberal democracy like
Australias, racial vilification and discrimina-
tion should never be tolerated he said.
Freedom of expression should not be pro-
moted at the expense of protection from racial
and ethnic denigration. In Parliament Lee
opposed the changes and supported the NSW
Governments position to keep the Racial
Discrimination Act in its current form.
Using ones race and ethnic identity to dis-
criminate or insult completely contradicts the
meaning of living in a peaceful, diverse and
harmonious community. This form of deni-
gration breaks the bonds that help make great
cities like Sydney and great communities like
Parramatta, the best places to live, work and
raise a family, Lee said.
The NSW and Victorian Governments on
May 2 announced they had lodged formal
submissions opposing changes to the protec-
tions against racial vilification contained in
the Federal Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
NSW Minister for Citizenship and
Communities Victor Dominello and Victorian
Minister for Multicultural Affairs and
Citizenship Matthew Guy said: We consider
it vital that the Commonwealth does not
weaken protections in place against racial vil-
ification. The proposed changes threaten the
social cohesion and well-being of not just our
states culturally and religiously diverse com-
munities, but also the wider Australian com-
munity. We support the protections current-
ly in place under the Racial Discrimination
Act and emphasise the practical and symbol-
ic importance of these protections particu-
larly for our Aboriginal, multicultural and
multi-faith communities.
Successive NSW and Victorian
Governments have worked hard to foster
socially inclusive and cohesive communities.
This is the basis for the Victorian Equal
Opportunity Act 2010 and Racial and
Religious Tolerance Act 2001 and the NSW
Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. Unlike the
Commonwealth laws, the NSW and Victorian
statutes also include criminal prohibitions for
serious racial vilification.
Vilification on the grounds of race or
religion is always wrong and we should never
allow it to be sanctioned, whether intentional-
ly or otherwise.
Indian community CRC consultation (left to right): Top row: Vijay Halagali, Loggesan Pillay, George Varughese, Vish Viswanathan,
Stanley DCruz, Vic Alhadeff, Gambhir Watts, Bawa Singh Jagdev, Hakan Harman, Swami Sunishthananda, Darshan Desai,
Middle Row: Bhupinder Chhibber, Neera Srivastava, Neena Sinha, Shubha Kumar, Pallavi Sinha, Dave Passi, Dr K.C. Rajendran,
Dr Yadu Singh, Rohitas Bhatta, and Pt Jatin Bhatt. Sitting: Mala Mehta, Sonia Gandhi
Community protests against changes to
Racial Discrimination Act
Sanjeev Bhakhri Geoff Lee George Brandis Yadu Singh Matthew Guy and Victor Dominello
Community
A
n approval for a 16.5 bil-
lion dollar coal and rail
project in Queensland
producing 60 million tonnes a
year of thermal coal to be used in
power stations is a whopper for
an Indian business house the
Adani Group. The project also
includes a 189-kilometre rail line
north west of Clermont and will
cart 60 million tonnes of coal
from Abbot Point port to
Carmichael using a combination
of open-cut and underground
mining.
Though the project comes
with conditions attached which
Adani will have to meet like com-
pensating the landholders affected
by any harm to water supplies.
Adani Chairman Gautam Adani
welcomed the approval and
Premier Jeff Seeney said, The
project has the potential to create
up to 2,500 construction and
3,900 operational jobs which
would be significant to the future
economic prosperity of that
region and to all of Queensland.
T
he Australian
Government will finalise
a new social security
agreement with India this year
to make retirement easier for
residents of both countries.
Announcing the agreement
today, Minister for Social
Services Kevin Andrews and
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Julie Bishop said residents of
both India and Australia would
now have greater access to pen-
sions from both countries.
The Australian
Government understands the
reality that many people live
and work in more than one
country and the need to safe-
guard their retirement
income, Mr Andrews said.
The agreement will give
former Australian residents in
India the ability to claim the
Australian Age Pension with-
out having to return to
Australia and will allow former
Indian residents in Australia
access to Indian retirement
pensions.
And it will support busi-
nesses operating in Australia
and India by removing the
requirement for compulsory
contributions to be paid into
both countries' superannuation
and pension insurance systems
for temporarily seconded
workers.
This will not only reduce
costs for business but facilitate
improved economic links
between our two countries.
This new agreement will
give people more freedom to
move between Australia and
India, knowing that their pen-
sion rights will be recognised
and protected.
Minister Bishop said the
finalisation of the agreement
demonstrated the value the
Australian Government placed
on its relationship with India.
The bilateral relationship
between our two countries is a
foreign policy priority due to
our economic and strategic
ties, shared history and strong
people-to-people links, she
said. The new agreement
delivers on our commitment to
broadening, deepening and
diversifying this key regional
relationship.
Australia already has social
security agreements in place
with 29 countries around the
world.
The agreement with India is
expected to come into effect in
July 2015 following legislative
and administrative processes in
both countries.
E
kal Foundation Australia is
celebrating its 10th anniver-
sary on July 26 with an Ekal
Jhankar program of harmony of
dance, music and songs. All pro-
ceeds go towards EVF Australia, a
not-for-profit charity that runs
schools in rural and tribal India.
EVF Australia has by now
sponsored 750 schools which are
based on the philosophy of One
teacher one school most of
them situated in the remote vil-
lages where education is a much
needed service for the children.
These schools are sponsored at
$480 per school annual sponsor-
ship which looks after the teach-
ers salary, resources, venue. At
times the schools are conducted
under a tree or at the teachers own
house.
In this tenth year EVF
Australia plans to reach a target of
1,000 Ekal School sponsorship. A
sponsor once assigned a school can
visit his school, village and the
teacher and students and see for
themselves the wonderful work
done by the Ekal foundation.
Do come and support a worthy
cause and become members of
Ekal Australia and participate in
making life better for many Indian
children who do not have access to
education which should be their
birth right. We must support Ekal
and sponsor schools and get
friends involved and help them
reach their target of 1,000 spon-
sored Ekal Schools from Australia.
Ekal Jhankar program will be
held at Sydney Bahai Centre, 107
Derby Street, Silverwater
5:30 pm for 6 pm start,
Saturday 26th July 2014; Tickets -
Gold $35, Gold Family $120 and
VIP $100.
Contact: Divya Gupta: 0425
322 585; Savita Gupta: 9861 0310;
Shalini Singh: 0408 282 363; Anil
Yadav: 0433 837 080; Jay Shah:
0438 621 590 or Vijay Gupta:
0414 879 542 for tickets.
Adani Group gets approval for a
whopper of a coal project in QLD
A
sharp rally in stocks of
Adani Group has cata-
pulted Gautam Adani
into the top league. With the
total market capitalization of Rs
122,206 crore of its three listed
companies - Adani Enterprises,
Adani Power and Adani Port
and Special Economic Zone
(SEZ) Adani Group raced
ahead of big corporate houses
like Bajaj, Shiv Nadar, Anil
Ambani and UB Group in terms
of total market capitalisation of
their listed companies. Adani
Group is now the ninth most-
valued groups in the country.
Interestingly, since September
13, 2013 Adani Groups market
valuation has more-than-dou-
bled from Rs 51,573 crore after
the BJP declared Narendra
Modi as the party's PM candi-
date.
During the period, Adani
Enterprises, Adani Power and
Adani Port and Special
Economic Zone (SEZ) have ral-
lied nearly 300% on hopes that
Modi-led BJP may form the
next government. On the other
hand, the market wealth of
Mukesh Ambani led- Reliance
Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla-
led Aditya Birla Group,
Mahindra Group and Bajaj
Group increased between 10-
30% during the period.
Gautam Adani, promoter of
Adani Group is known to be
close to Modi and traders are
speculating that his firms would
benefit the most in Gujarat in
case of expected poll outcome.
Investors are speculating
that Gujarat-based companies
especially Adani group, will
find it easier to do business if
Modi forms government (which
has come true).
Buoyed by Modi association, Adani
now 9th most valued firm in India
Great news for
Indian pensioners
Adani group Chairman Gautam
Adani, big dreams big projects
Come and support Ekal Jhankar
Ekal
Vidyalaya is
a laudable
project,
sponsoring
one-teacher
schools in
rural and
tribal India.
Jaane kahan gaye wo din
Awara hoon
Mud mud ke na dekh
Bol radha bol
Pyar hua
Yeh raat bheegi bheegi
The Indian Down Under newspaper
Voice of India - Monika Geetmala
& Bhavan Australia present
VINOD RAJPUT in
Date: 29th June 2014 Sunday
Time: 2-5pm
Tickets: $20, Seniors & Conc $15
Tea & Snacks included
Venue: Pennant Hills Community Centre
For Tickets, Call:
Vinod Rajput 0421 017 592
Neena Badhwar: 0414 155 402
Dave Passi: 0413 760 300
Proudly supported by:
Indian Seniors Group Hornsby
Australian Hindi Indian Association
Om Care Founation
Indo Aus Bal Bharti Hindi School
ILASA - Indian Literary & Art
Society of Australia
Singers: Vinod Rajput, Pushpa Jagadish,
Reena Mehta, Sumi Krishnan
Band: Band Baaja
By Vijay Badhwar
N
ovotel in Parramatta turned saffron
during April 26-27 weekend as hun-
dreds of volunteers and delegates
furled saffron scarfs and name tags around
their necks at the third Hindu conference
organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(VHP) Australia.
The conference was blessed by lighting
the traditional lamp in front of majestic
Ganesha idol and an aboriginal dance and
didgeridoo by young Kyle Freeman, a 14-
year-old aboriginal who said that according
to tradition it took away the bad energy in
the precinct and the event.
Veda Patsala teacher Narayan
Krishnamoorthy said as he declared the con-
ference open, You protect the dharma and
it protects you. He added that Hindu dhar-
ma was the sanctum sanctorum of all reli-
gions and that the Hindu conference would
help everyone to take home values imbibed
by it.
Akila Ramarathnam, one of the main
organisers of the conference, said in her
keynote address that there were now 200
professionally trained teachers who were
now teaching at Veda Patsalas around
Sydney. She thanked guests that included
Philip Ruddock, MP, and Laurie Ferguson,
Federal MP for Werriwa, saying that their
political support had helped tremendously to
create a harmonious and democratic envi-
ronment to practice and maintain as well as
spread the message of Hindu dharma.
Mr Philip Ruddock said, Australia is a
unique country in the sense that it has
around 25 per cent of people born overseas.
People can come here, settle and be part of
it as Australians citizen of this country. He
said, not only we respect Hinduism, we
share and rather learn from each other and
acknowledge each other.
Mr Ferguson praised the Hindu commu-
nity for its engagement with the wider
Australian society so that people understood
each other better.
Dr Geoff Lee, Member Parramatta was
all praise for his constituency that was a cul-
tural melting pot. He said he had an idol of
Ganesha in his office to remove hurdles that
are aplenty in politics.
Swami Vigyananand, International Co-
ordinator and Joint General Secretary, VHP,
provided the saffron energy as he lighted the
traditional lamp along with other dignitaries
present. More than 250 delegates became
part of the dialogue how Hindu Dharma was
contributing to the society. They actively
participated in five plenary sessions where
speakers from various Hindu organisations
Down Under (including New Zealand)
talked about how they were spreading the
tenets of Hindu dharma. They spoke about
the work of their organisations as well as
individual experiences as Hindus living in
Australia.
Many among the participants were
young people who would carry the flag in
the future. They were more articulate in
their presentations, relating concisely the
message, having grown up in the local cul-
ture. The statistics provided about the Hindu
population in Australia showed that the com-
munity carried the political weight and that
they were at the top rung of the society in all
fields be it education or the income they
were drawing. Some as young as six or
seven-year-olds showed their skills in recit-
ing mantras from the Vedas and talked about
how they were positively engaged in learn-
ing and practising Hinduism in their day to
day lives.
Preservation of Hinduism and promoting
it to the next generation were some of the
issues that were at the core of the conference
and how Hinduism was practised and pre-
served in Australia in myriad ways. It was
reassuring to sit and listen to inspiring
speakers who were contributing to maintain-
ing and spreading Hinduism through educa-
tion, training, yoga, scriptural studies, med-
itation and participating in local activities
such as Clean Up Australia, Greenathon,
Blood Donation Drives and connecting
with the real custodians of the land and
learning about their ways.
Two days of listening to over 50 speak-
ers about Hinduism one came back with an
evident conclusion that Hinduism was not
just surviving but rather thriving and grow-
ing its roots in Australia at a fast rate. It was
a revelation that Sydney now has 52 temples
while many more organisations are involved
in spreading Hinduism through education,
especially getting the younger generation
Community
Akila Ramarathnam, Dave Passi and Vijay Badhwar - discussion over lunch
Hon. Phillip Ruddock and Hon. Laurie Ferguson with ladies
Community
interested in the ways of Hindu culture.
Mr Raj Natarajan of Oz India
Media who chaired the first plenary
session on Hindu Temples serving
the Australian community said, We,
as Hindus, do not carry guns where
we go but we go with holy books and
build temples wherever we go. India
is the only country that has never
attacked. It may have replied back if
attacked, yet it has led and lent the
message of peace and its temples,
especially, have imparted that lead
role.
Mr Natarajan Iyer from Sri
Venkateswara Temple talked about
how SVT was started by 17 members
who had housed a statue of Lord
Ganesha at the NSW campus. Now
the temple in Helensburgh is a fine
monument and a national heritage.
The leading road in Helensburgh has
now been named as Temple Road by
the Mayor.
Sri Praful Jethwa of BAPS
Mandir in Rosehill said that BAPS
devotees contributed to the society
by contributing several services. Mr
Venkataraman of Ayyappa Temple talked
how they overcame many hurdles to finally
have a temple in Guildford. Mr Divakar
Harle talked about Vedic Cultural Centre of
Australia in Greystanes and its contribution
in training Vedic teachers. Mr Muthu
Menon impressed the role of Shakti Temple
in Tongabbie and its valuable contribution in
not just imparting knowledge but also con-
ducting community awareness about issues
that can affect its members and supporting
people during bereavements and helping
people in distress.
Mrs Lila Gune spoke with pride about
the first Hindu temple in Australia, Sri
Mandir, at Auburn. Its functions like Shiva
Ratri, Janmashtami and Diwali draw thou-
sands of Hindus from all around the town,
she said.
Shri Vidyadaran R Sharmas presenta-
tion was about the only Saraswati temple in
Flemington and how it was a favourite of
students. Mr Prem Misra of the Mukti
Gupteshwar Temple explained how the con-
tinent of Australia was so unique with elec-
tromagnetic forces operating through this
ancient land. His seven-year-old grand-
daughter mesmerised all with her chanting
of Sri Siva Sahasranama shlokas with perfect
ease and confidence. Mrs Pooja Sashi of the
Hindu Youth Australia (HYA) talked about
the role of temples and their purpose.
The second session concentrated on the
role played by Hindu organisations in serv-
ing the Australian society in general and
Hindu society in particular. Speakers includ-
ed Mr Sajana Nand, Australian Hindu
Multicultural Association and Neeraj Ram
from Gayatri Pariwar. Sri Ram Sivan ji of
Australian Council of Hindu Clergy said that
there were now over 72 recognised qualified
priests busy doing important work as mar-
riage celebrants and performing last rites.
Friends of India from Liverpool talked
about the Ganesh Festival and how it had
charged the locals with enthusiasm as thou-
sands participated every year in the iconic
event. Mrs Geeta Devi, President VHP
Victoria, enlightened all about an intensive
weekend called Vedic Village Project hap-
pening every year that was full of activities
and disseminating information about Hindu
religion and Vedic practices. While Shri
Awindra Prasad of Arya Samaj talked about
homams and yagyas carried by its members,
Srini Vasudevan and Vidya Raghavan talked
about Sri Om Care and how it had helped
transform lives of senior citizens of the
Indian community helping them age in a
positive, fun filled environment.
Mr Raj Datta, Councillor Strathfield
Council, talked of having started Deepavali
celebration at NSW Parliament House which
has now become a much anticipated annual
event enjoyed by the community and con-
necting it with the NSW parliamentarians.
And Jet Australias Shri Navneeth Ramanuja
Dasa talked about serving the community
through Hindu Vaishnav philosophy.
Swami Vigyananand, who has to his
credit a book on Sanskrit grammar along
with many other scholarly achievements,
talked about Hindu Organizations,
Temples, & Associations (HOTA). He said
HOTA meant happening and he could see
a lot happening in Australia in regards to
Hindu dharma. Swamiji launched HOTA
Australia and encouraged all to join in a
Raksha bandhan festival that could pro-
mote a feeling of goodwill among all
Hindus. Ayyappa Temple took the lead to
conduct this event for the first time in
Sydney in August this year with 20 other
organisations, giving them a hand to organ-
ise the event.
Vijay Badhwar chaired the third session
based on the topic, Serving the community
through education and shaping future gener-
ations. His introductory message was to
keep the Hindu culture alive for the coming
generations, not to be lost in the persistent
campaigns of many proselytising religions.
Second Day of the conference concen-
trated on youth development and shaping
future leaders as two plenary sessions
intensely discussed how the youth were
being encouraged through providing oppor-
tunities for participation and positive
engagement.
Speakers from Ekal Vidyalaya, Indian
Seniors Group Hornsby, Bhutanese
Association, Sri Sathya Sai organisation and
many more highlighted the valuable work
being carried out for the community, its sen-
iors and the children with the aim of con-
necting, helping, serving, integrating and
networking.
The 3rd Hindu conference concluded on
Day 2 on a high note as people went back
with a lot of positive input through inspiring
speakers and workers who have contributed
in a pioneering fashion to the cause of Hindu
dharma in Australia. Each session was
packed with interesting presentations from
nearly 50 speakers who motivated the rest
with a vigour and enthusiasm that Hindu
dharma had come of age in Australia and its
growth had to be steadily maintained for the
coming generations.
Swami Vigyananand with a delegate
Srini Vasudevan and Vidya Raghavan representing Sri OmCare foundation
Mrs Leela Gune representing Sri Mandir, an Indian community veteran
Master of Ceremonies Ms Chetna Padki
Kamlesh
Chaudhary
with
Vinod
Sablok
Young Aussie Hindu delegate
Bollywood
O
ver the last few years, the
Bollywood film industry has made a
global appeal with Bollywood craze
having taken the entire world in its grip.
Lately, at least 16 foreign actresses have
made their entry into Indian films. This
foray began in 2000, when several entered
through modeling and appearing in videos
for songs. Some of them became successful
Katrina Kaif (Britain), Sunny Leone
(Canada), Jacqueline Fernandez (Sri Lanka),
Elli Avram (Swedish Greek), Barbara Mori
(Mexico), and Giselli Monteiro (a Brazilian
model turned actress). Australian-born
actresses have also, Pallavi Sharda being one
who has now acted with top knotch
Bollywood actors such as Shahrukh Khan,
Manoj Bajpai and Ranbir Kapoor.
We may soon have someone else from
Australia sizzle on the Bollywood screen.
Tamar Bartaia (Georgian born
Australian), a model and actress, NIDA
Graduate is one of my Hindi students at the
University of Sydney, and a beauty to boot.
When I asked her the reason for her coming
to Hindi class, she said she is trying for
Bollywood. Not only just Hindi, but Tamar
is also training in dance and music and has a
rigorous daily schedule with one and only
one dream. She dreams of going to Mumbai
in the hope of getting a break into
Bollywood films.
Rekha: Tell us something about yourself
Tamar Bartaia: My name is Tamar Bartaia,
but I am more popularly known by my nick-
name, Aghni. So my name is fire, Main
Aghni hoon I was born in Georgia. I am
the only child of my parents.
I am very passionate and restless like my
zodiac sign Aries...
Rekha: Tell us something about yourself
Tamar: I loved dancing, singing and acting
since my childhood. I studied at Art School.
As a kid I used to take part in a TV show
Cake In A City. Theres an interesting story
from my acting career of how I got an act-
ing offer. One day, when I was preparing
for my shootings, I got a phone call from my
mum. She told me that my grandmother had
accidently died. It was a shock for me
because my grandmother was my best
friend. She was a very kind, generous and
nice person. Her death totally paralysed me.
I started to cry and was going to drop every-
thing. Suddenly, I saw grandma cheering me
on, saying dont give up. She wanted me
to be a world famous movie star, it was her
dream and I decided to fulfill her wish.
That afternoon I had a film audition and
the director told me that I was perfect for the
role.
Rekha: Have you learnt acting?
Tamar: I am an actress and model and I
graduated from NIDA - National Institute Of
Dramatic Art. I am very proud of it because
many Australian Hollywood stars (like Cate
Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, and Jeffrey Rush)
studied there. NIDA gave me confidence to
believe in myself. I have patience and I am
true to my work.
Rekha: You are a model and have
appeared in TV commercials. Please tell
us about that.
Tamar: Acting is my passion, modeling is
my hobby. As a model, I work for AMG:
Adpro Management Group. I have done lots
of TV commercials for Hilton Hotel, BMW,
Fosters Beer, etc. Recently I did a com-
mercial for Samsung Galaxy 5s. Ive also
taken part in many fashion shows for
famous Australian designers.
Rekha: Instead of dreaming of
Hollywood films, you are training for
Bollywood films. Why Bollywood?
Tamar: I am a huge fan of Bollywood. I
would love to work in a Bollywood film
because there is so much drama and colour
in the films. I am fascinated with
Bollywood.
Rekha: How are you preparing yourself to
get into Bollywood films? Are you receiv-
ing any special training?
Tamar: I have done a talent/ Bollywood
workshop with Raj Suri (a Photographer,
Talent Mentor, Bollywood Star Judge SBS
for TV Australia and Film Producer). I am
learning Hindi. I am grateful to my gurus. I
am learning Bollywood dancing too and
proud to be a part of the performance in
"Bharat humko jaan se pyara hai".
Rekha: You said you watch Bollywood
films, who is your inspiration?
Tamar: I watch Bollywood movies almost
every day. My parents always join me; my
grandmothers favourite actor was Raj
Kapoor.
My Hero is Shahrukh Khan, I love his
film My Name Is Khan. I hope to meet him
in Mumbai, as I will be there in a few
months.
Rekha: You must be aware that many
people go to Mumbai with a dream to act
in films, but they find it very difficult or
may even fail. In that case do you have a
back-up plan?
Tamar: My back-up plan? I dont have any,
because I know I can do it.
I wish Tamar the best as I can see the
fire in her eyes. Who knows one day she
may set the Bollywood alight as Aghni!
REKHA RAJVANSHI teaches Hindi at Sydney university. Here she inter-
views one of her students, Tamar aka Aghni, who is studying Hindi for
the sole reason of getting an entry into Bollywood
Tamar Bartaia (Georgian born Australian), a model and actress, NIDA Graduate
Pix courtesy:
Raj Suri
Community
A
ustralian Indian Weddings
showcased some of the top
Indian wedding providers in
Sydney at their 25th Anniversary of
the Sydney Bridal Expo held at Moore
Park in April. This included a fashion
parade targeted at an Australian audi-
ence.
The fashion parade displayed a
stunning array of Indo-western suits
and sherwanis for men along with
glamorous bridal suits, sarees and
lehengas for women, including
designer pieces by renowned Indian
fashion designer Rohit Verma, pro-
vided by Yogesh and Anju Sharma
from Cinestar Fashions.
The talented models who danced
and sashayed down the runway with
Bollywood glamour included Sammy
Jo and Corey Blake from the Sydney
Bridal Expo team along with Arslaan
Khan, Celine Eigner, Jimmy Sharma,
Farah Nezzar, Nisha Kungal, Mary
Symons, Pallavi Wardan, Pooja
Priyanka, Rohit Hunt, Savvy Singh,
Tarana Shayesta Khunger.
The fashion parade was produced
by Susie Smither from Graham Stroud
Events, styled by Pamela
Petherbridge and choreographed by
PJ Clarke from Jeep Management.
The demand for quality Indian
Wedding service providers is on rise
with an increasing number of Indians
living and settling in Australia. The
growth in demand for Indian wedding
services is also reflected in the higher
number of Australians of non-Indian
backgrounds having an Indian wed-
ding in Australia.
The Australian Indian Weddings
exhibition stand included VIP
Decorating, the leading Indian and
Bollywood decorators in Sydney,
Fareha Bridal Studio, Makeup and
Henna specialists in Sydney, Cinestar
Fashions providing the latest
Bollywood inspired Indian bridal and
groomwear collections and Australian
Indian Weddings, one of the leading
online resources on Indian Weddings
in Australia.
Irene Prasad, from VIP
Decorating, a veteran Indian and
Bollywood decorator in Sydney for
the last 25 years, says, This is a fan-
tastic opportunity to show the quality
of the Indian Wedding service
providers in Sydney that are also
available to an Australian audience.
Deepthi Raghavan, Director of
Australian Indian Weddings, said, It
was an extraordinary Indian
Weddings Fashion Parade to be show-
cased on one of the most magnificent
runways set up by the team at the
Sydney Bridal Expo 2014.
Vignettes
from the
glamorous
event
Community
By Vish Viswanathan
S
ydney Dance Festival sparked the need
to remind people that Indian Dance
isnt all Bollywood, wrote Jill Sykes,
the popular arts columnist in the Sydney
Morning Herald, in her review.
The Sydney Dance Festival, the first ini-
tiative of Madhuram Academy of
Performing Arts, held on April 19-20 at the
Seymore Centre, included performances by
nine world class dance artistes from India
and two professional dance groups from
Sydney specialising in five styles such as
Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Odissi
and Sattriya.
Our vision is two-fold -- to promote
Indias rich cultural heritage in classical
dances in the multicultural Australia, said
Kalpana Sriram, Director, Madhuram
Academy.
Presented for eight hours on each of the
two days, the dance festival consisted of seg-
ments of group and solo performances. The
first day kicked off with an excellent
Bharatanatyam presentation Srishti by the
Sydney based dance Guru Hamsa Venkat
and performed by the students of her
Samskriti School of Dance. In Srishti,
meaning creation, the young students beauti-
fully presented five items. This was followed
by a superb Kuchipudi dance recital for over
an hour by the very talented artiste, per-
former and choreographer from India,
Prateeksha Kashi. She presented seven
items.
Another equally talented Bharatanatyam
artiste from India, Lakshmi Parthasarathy
Athreya, a disciple of Padmashree Chitra
Visweswaran, mesmerised the audience with
superb performance combined with divinity.
She presented six Bharatanatyam items
including an excellent portrayal of
Hanuman.
Another highlight of the evening was the
special presentation of the Sattriya, a
unique dance item from Assam dating back
to 15th century, by accomplished, and
outstanding exponents from India, Anita
Sharma and Naren Baruah. They per-
formed nine Sattriya dance items.
The first day of the festival
concluded with a beautiful Odissi
performance by the interna-
tionally acclaimed
Nri t yagram
S c h o o l
t r a i n e d
artiste from
I n d i a ,
Ayona Bhaduri who pr
sented five Odissi items choreographed by
the world famous Odissi Guru Kelucharan
Mohapatra. On the second day, another
Sydney based Kuchipudi talent Aruna
Iyengar and students of Shakthi School of
Dance delighted the audience with outstand-
ing six Kuchipudi dance items. Special men-
tion needs to be made for the excellent ren-
dering of the Mahishasura Mardhini num-
ber, much appreciated by the audience.
The next segment in the festival had a
pleasant surprise blend of the Bharatanatyam
styles from three famous gurus - Adyar
Lakshmanan, Leela Samson and Bragha
Bessell, presented by Sai Santosh
Radhakrishnan, a young and high achiever
from Chennai, who electrified the audience
and captivated the hearts of many classical
dance lovers.
This was followed by a double treat of
Kathak and Odissi items in the late afternoon
and evening segments. The globally
acknowledged Kathak exponents
from India, Vidha Lal and Sri
Abhimanyu Lal, not only
thrilled the audience with
their Kathak numbers
but also the Jugal Bandhi
and Kathak style render-
ing of the famous Bo
Sambo, composed
by the
eminent
sage Sri
Dayanand
Saraswati,
w h i c h
received a
standing ova-
tion.
T h e
dance festival
c o n c l u d e d
with an outstand-
ing Odissi perform-
ance recital by Sujata
Mohapatra, a disciple
of Late Guru
P a d ma v i b h u s h a n
K e l u c h a r a n
Mohapatra, an Odissi doyen. The audience
were treated to four delightful Odissi num-
bers. We artistes are like flowers.
But Maduram Academy of Performing
Arts did put us together like a beautiful gar-
land through the Sydney Dance Festival,
said Vidha Lal, a world famous Kathak
exponent and the Guinness Book of World
Records Holder for taking the most number
of Kathak Spins (103) in one minute.
As written by Jill Sykes, let us hope that
this (Sydney Dance) Festival will be the first
of many.
Sydney Dance Festival, a reminder that
all Indian dance is not just Bollywood
Anita
Sharma and
Naren
Baruah
performing
Sattriya
dance form
of Assam.
Sydneysiders who attended the festival.
Some of the participants in the festival with organisers.
Ayona Bhaduri giving Odissi recital.
Bollywood
T
he Sydney Film Festival (SFF) will screen four Indian films in their 61st Festival
running from June 4-15.
Charulata (The Lonely Wife) is an old classic. It is the story of the wife of a news-
paper editor in the 1870s who finds a cure for her loneliness in her visiting cousin-in-law,
and through their shared love of literature, subsequently fall in love.
Directed by one of Indias most renowned film makers, Satvajit Ray, Charulata signifi-
cantly marks the beginning of an influence of Western film of Rays directorial style.
It is based on the popular short Indian novel Nastanirh (The Broken Nest) by
Rabindranath Tagore. The film depicts an upper class, childless marriage within the Bengal
Renaissance (British Rule) of the 1870s. The assumed roles of women within the household
are explored, regardless of education and intellectual capabilities.
Charulata won the Presidents Gold Medal, New Delhi (1964); Silver Bear for Best
Direction, Berlin (1965); Catholic Award, Berlin (1965); Best Film, Acapulco (1965).
SFF Screening:
Thursday, 5 June, 6:00 PM DOQ3
Faith Connections - Focusing on the month-and-a-half long Hindu Kumbh Mela rit-
ual, Faith Connections explores diverse and deeply moving stories such as a young runaway
kid, a Sadhu, a mother desperately looking for her lost son, a yogi who is raising an aban-
doned baby, and an ascetic who keeps his calm by smoking cannabis all connected by one
faith against the spectacular display of devotion.
Directed by Indian writer-director Pan Nalin (Samsara), Faith Connections is an explo-
ration of religious devotion, centred around the Hindu Kumbh Mela ritual the largest reli-
gious gathering in the world.
The Kumbh Mela occurs every 12 years; it draws between 90 100 million people
throughout its 55 days-long duration. The film shares a wide range of stories and perspec-
tives, from a hermit-turned-adoptive-father, a young runaway, and a couple searching for
their son who has been lost in the crowd. It highlights the childrens experiences at the rit-
ual; 135,000 children are at the Lost & Found camp when director Nalin filmed.
SFF Screenings:
Thursday, 12 June 10:00 AM EV4 //
Sunday 15 Jun 12:30 PM DOQ2
Siddharth - After sending his young son Siddharth away to look for work, Mahendra
becomes concerned when he fails to return home one weekend and travels across India in
search of him.
The film examines the pressure of child labour and fears of child trafficking in devel-
oping countries. Canadian director Richie Mehta (Amal, Ill Follow You Down) met a man
who was searching for his missing son while in India; this man served as inspiration for the
script that Mehta co-wrote.
This is the second collaboration of director Mehta and Indian actor Rajesh Tailang (who
plays Mahendra); they first worked together on the Mehtas award-winning feature-length
debut Amal.
SFF Screenings:
Thursday 12 June 8:30 PM
DOQ2 // Saturday 14 June 6:35 PM DOQ2
The Lunchbox - Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire) stars in this Indian
indie hit a delicious celebration of romance and food. In Mumbais remarkable dabba
(lunchbox) delivery system, only one in four million home-cooked meals is ever lost. That
one wayward lunch connects a housewife with an office worker in the dusk of his life, lead-
ing them into a rich fantasy.
Director Ritesh Batra originally intended the film to be a documentary after researching
Mumbais Lunchbox delivery system, an elaborate, extremely efficient system, and the dab-
bawalas who deliver them.
The delivery system, studied by the Harvard Business School for its efficiency, has a
million to one odds of a wrongful lunchbox delivery; these slim odds are what inspired Batra
to construct his films pen-pal romance.
Winner 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards: Best Screenplay; Jury Grand Prize; Winner,
2013 Muhr AsiaAfrica Award, Dubai Film Festival, Best Actor, Special Mention Feature;
Winner, 2014 Screen Weekly Awards, Most Promising Debut Director
SFF Screenings:
Friday 6 Jun 6:00 PM STATE // Sunday 8 Jun 6:00 PM CRE-
MORNE // Tuesday 10 Jun 6:00 PM EV8
Four Indian films at Sydney Film Festival
Community
By Prerna Jones
I
am so glad I insisted on looking for the
'Chakras' dancers performing some
years ago at the Newcastle Red Lantern
markets. Even then it was obvious something
held this Indian dance school apart. Chakras
Performing Arts was set up in Newcastle in
2010 by Savitri Naidoo who brought a
wealth of experience from her home of South
Africa and has since blessed Novocastrians
with her teaching skills, regular performanc-
es at our local Indian functions and as a
unique visionary whose ideals are time and
again converted into action, or should we
say, dance. Now just 4 years after settling on
our shores, Smt Naidoo has presented us a
dance and musical adaptation of the fairy tale
Snow White at the Hunter theatre in
Broadmeadow on May 3.
I am of Indian heritage myself, but
accompanying me to see the show I had my
young daughter of mixed Aussie-Indo line-
age and my Aussie mother-in-law. Across
this mixed bag, we were all left enraptured
by the feast of costumes, colour and enter-
tainment before us. What caught my daugh-
ters fancy were the delightful bunnies and
the dwarves themselves - all played so
endearingly by the youngest performers of
the night. It was particularly pleasing to me
to hear the tinkle of my daughters laughter
as we were left to spectate the antics of the
little ones on stage.
The show presented a pantomime of a
range of dance forms from Indian classical
and folk, to ballet and African and
Aboriginal-inspired performances. Teza
Sankoorilal played the young Snow White, a
recognisable face of the Chakras troupe,
always performing the classical Indian dance
form with dexterity and an ease that makes
her a pleasure to behold. The role of the
grown Snow White was delivered by ballet
dancer Madeline Denholm, who came across
with sheer grace backed up by her Prince
Charming played by fellow ballet dancer
Asher Watters-Cowen. Asher also played the
part of dhol-player amongst the temple folk.
Though he is not of Indian heritage his per-
formance was particularly convincing and
displayed with such expressiveness and agili-
ty. Not to forget the evil stepmother of Snow
White played by Kumari Mayuri Naidoo, the
daughter of Smt Naidoo, who also co-chore-
ographed the Indian dance sets. Kumari
Mayuri I found particularly stunning and for-
midable in the evil Queens role, and is
another easy to recognise member of the
Chakras troupe.
This was only the tip of the iceberg in a
show of dancers numbering too many to
mention all their names here. Nevertheless
each and every individual worked their
utmost to form a show that proved nothing
short of a visual feast for those fortunate
enough to be in attendance. Furthermore, for
me each and every individual left an indeli-
ble mark through their sheer talent and the
diligence of their performances. Fia
Sankoorilal was one such individual who
played the part of the peacock in
Bharatnatyam form but to a very catchy
rhythmised and modernised piece of Indian
classical music which I would love to have
the name of to listen to again.
The African dancers, stemming from one
of the artistic partners of Chakras in the
Hunter African Communities Council, gave
us age ranges from pre to late-teens and
added such grooving rhythm to the show that
you had to hold yourself back from joining
them on the stage. With dance styles and
costumes of cool informality it gave their
performances the air of talented adlibbing.
Also impressive was the Aboriginal dance
presented by dancers from the Hunter School
of Performing Arts, another artistic partner
of Chakras. Their costumes in their simplic-
ity were a contrast to the riot of colour and
intricacy of those of the Indian dancers, and
yet were so effective for a dance performed
with intensity and emotion.
In summation, Smt Naidoo, her dance
troupe and artistic partners have put on a
show which I felt absolutely honoured and
fortunate to attend. Smt Naidoo excels in
every detail of dance performance, as a
teacher, in building partnerships and bridges
with other cultural groups and dance genres,
in her selection of costumes and progressive
music, and in her unique presentation of
Indian classical dance. A matinee perform-
ance was added to allay disappointment for
those who may have otherwise missed out,
with all proceeds of this show going to the St
Vincent De Paul Society.
Chakras' Snow White a delight!
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, performed by Chakras Performing Arts, on May 3,
at the Hunter Theatre in Broadmeadow, Newcastle.
March - April 2014 THEINDIANDOWNUNDER 33
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from well settled family background preferred.
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Community
By Neena Badhwar
F
rom the very moment
Maharishi Vashisht appeared
on stage along with his stu-
dents in dazzling costumes at the
Whitlam Centre in Liverpool on
April 5, the place turned into a riot
of colours, music and dance, the
changing scenes intently engaging
the audience in the timeless epic
Ramayana.
Never before has a local Indian
production provided dance-drama
extravaganza at such a scale that has
held the entire audience in awe for
over three hours. They were
enthralled and burst into applause at
every scene, associating themselves
as a part of the very act. Many rued
the fact that they had not brought
their young children and grand chil-
dren to witness the grand epic that
represented the good winning over
the evil.
We had been brought up with
Ramayana being enacted during the
Ram Lila holiday season back in
India. I saw Ramayana during my
young days in Delhi by the Delhi
Kala Kendra and how just in one
evening one scene followed the
other seamlessly, the whole
Ramayana unfolding in just a matter
of three hours. It was the same
Raghavan Nair who was doing the
role of Rama in Delhi then.
Each and every scene is so
etched in our memory, yet we look
at Ramlila and its staging with a
know-all curiosity same as when
kids ask their grandma to relate the
same bedtime story again and again.
Ramayana in Sydney was equally
thrilling and who else was Rama but
Raghavan Nairs grandson and
Purnima Sharmas son played by
Deepak Sharma. If Raghavan Nair
looked resplendent as King Rama
then Deepak with Keerat Mann as
Sita and Raghavan himself now
playing the role of King Dashratha
was equally impressive. It was
directed by Raghavan Nair and
staged by the actors of his dance
school Asian Dance Centre.
Purnima Sharma, daughter of
Raghavan Nair and the force behind
Ramayana, is the proud carrier of
the family tradition. The tale of epic
Ramayan is a story of Lord Rama
and Sita with its protagonists fight-
ing out the demons and finally call-
ing it the victory of good over
evil. The role of Manthra was
powerfully played by Purnima her-
self, and again she appeared in the
role of Shabri in the emotional
scene of her feeding Lord Rama
with her tasted berries as Lakshman
was aghast seeing Rama eating them
heartily from the hands of his loving
devotee. The audience would have
liked some scenes of Ahilaya and of
the fight between King Bali and
Sugreeva even in passing.
Ramayana was superb as a con-
tinuous story enacted through
dances, drama and actors playing
emotive scenes through mimicry,
facial expressions and acting as
Chaupai from Ramayana were
played in the background. Two
scenes that will stay etched in mem-
ory for a long time will be Manthra
plotting with Kaikeyi and that of
Jatayu chasing Ravana and being
killed. The stage settings were
quickly and ably changed from
scene to scene, at times the actors
themselves bringing in items and
quickly getting into the act. Scenes
follow in quick succession, each
actor fully immersed in the role
Kaikeyi, Kaushalya, little cute
Rama as a child, King Dashratha,
Manthra, Lakshmana,
Saroopnakha, Ravana and Jatayu
and Hanuman to name a few.
Ravana looked big and furious and
so did his unruly demon courtier
while Mandodiri, his wife, is kind,
gentle and reminds him how to
behave with women as he threatens
Sita with dire consequences if she
does not relent to his amorous
demands. Oh, what an excellent
performance by one and all. Months
and months of preparation has seen
Ramayana unfold into a seasoned
and an excellent dance drama as
Purnima implored on stage, We
should support local artists as
opposed to Bollywood shows and
appreciate the hard work put in by
the young generation here.
By Tama Sarkar
Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you.
Dream deep, for every dream precedes the
goal.
A beautiful quote by Rabindranath
Tagore or Gurudev as we call him.
A
multitalented poet, short-story writer,
song composer, novelist, playwright,
essayist, and painter, Tagore left such
an indelible mark socially and culturally that
even now even 73 years after his passing
away Bengalis in the land down under 6,000
miles away from India lovingly pay homage
to him on his birth anniversary (which fell on
May 9) by showcasing his songs, poems and
dramas on stage. The Bengali Association of
NSW celebrated his 153rd birth anniversary
in Sydney at the Pennant Hills Community
Centre on 17 May 2014 with love and enthu-
siasm. Rabindra Jayanti as his birth anniver-
sary is called, is an event that is looked for-
ward to by all Rabindra Sangeet lovers. This
year BANSW invited Aditi Gupta a singer
from the now popular Dakshinee Institute in
Kolkata, who transformed the evening into
very special soiree.
The evenings performances were initiat-
ed by local artists Manjari Ghosh and Jayita
Ghosh who were accompanied by Jeet Das on
the tabla and sang all time favourites like
Mahabishye mahakashe , Hridoyer ekul
okul dukul bheshe jai and Jodi tor dak
shune keu na ashe tobe ekla cholo re. Dance
performances by our very own junior artists
and tiny tots heart warmingly utilised the
local talent and drive to showcase the
Rabindrik culture and tradition that
Bengalis are so proud of.
Tagore was one of Indias greatest poets
who was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1913. His poetry stems from his
insatiable love of nature and the dances that
were performed during the evening were ded-
icated to Prakriti bandana or an invocation
of nature. Dances were choreographed by
Ajanta Bhattacharya.
An excellent rendition of Karna Kunti
Sambad followed the dance performances.
This dramatic poem, based on an episode
in the Mahabharata, is from Tagores collec-
tion Kahini (1900).
Tagores Karna is humanized to evoke
sympathy and elevated to the stature of a
noble hero to whom the world had not done
justice. Sandip Bhattacharya and Barnali
Chakraborty - our reciters for the evening -
did marvellous justice to this creation by
Tagore.
Aditi Gupta has been critically acclaimed
as one of the most promising Rabindra
Sangeet singers of our times. She is a regular
performer on Doordarshan and All India
Radio and other major private TV channels.
She has learned Rabindra Sangeet under the
tutelage of Guru Shri Rana Guha Thakurta.
Her remarkable voice had the depth and
melody to transport a listener right to the
heart of the song without a single external
thought intruding that joy. A perfect voice
indeed. Singing a mix of well known popular
songs like Bhalobashi bhalobashi, O
amar desher mati, Krishnokoli amai tarei
boli, and not so well known pieces, she left
the audience awestruck in their admiration
and the adulation at the end of her perform-
ance was very well deserved.
Aditi Gupta exuded a general air of excel-
lent training, dedication and love for her art.
All her songs were solo and yet the evening
was far from tedious. Each song was perfect-
ly rendered with feeling, brimming with
melody and in quick succession of each other,
making the event thoroughly enjoyable and
raising the bar for the future events that
BANSW will organise.
Deepak and Ravi Sharma as Rama and Laxman (Right) Poornima as the ardent devotee Shabri
Captivating performance from Sydney dancers.
Adit Gupta, famed Rabindra Sangeet
singer, was invited from Kolkata.
Bengali Association celebrates the birth anniversary of Gurudev Tagore
Cookery
S
tarters are an important part of any
party. There is a saying, That well
begun is half done. Start entertain-
ing your family and friends with a great
starter and you have already won their
admiration.
VEGETABLE SHELLS
Ingredients for the dough
1 cup plain flour
cup rice flour
tsp salt
tsp baking powder
2 tabs oil
Milk as required
Oil for frying
Ingredients for the filling
1 potato boiled, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 capsicum diced
1 spring onion
cup coriander leaves chopped
1 tabs mint leaves chopped
Salt to taste
tsp cumin seed powder
1 tsp lemon juice
50 grams of cheese cut into small
cubes
Method
Mix the flours, baking powder and
salt. Sieve the mixture to remove any
lumps. Add oil and mix in till the mixture
is uniform. Add milk in small quantity
and mix to get soft dough. Cover with a
moist cloth and keep aside.
Add all the filling materials in a mixing
bowl. Mix well.
Divide the dough into 15 to 18 por-
tions. Shape each portion into a ball. Roll
each ball to a round disk about 4 inches
diameter. Use dry flour as required dur-
ing rolling. Place 3 tsp of mixture in the
one half of the disk. Fold the other half
over to enclose the mixture. Seal edges.
Deep fry these stuffed shells till golden
brown on both sides. Serve hot with
tomato sauce or tamarind chutney.
GOLDEN UMBRELLAS
Ingredients for the marinade
400 grams of mushrooms
tsp garlic paste
Juice of 1 lemon
tsp black pepper freshly ground
1 tsp salt
Ingredients for the batter
1 cup plain flour
cup corn flour
tsp salt
tsp baking powder
2 green chili chopped
1 cup corn flakes (crushed by hand)
cup grated cheese
Oil for frying
Method
Poke each mushroom with a fork light-
ly. Mix the marinade items and then add
the poked mushroom. Mix well so that the
marinade covers each mushroom. Keep
aside for hour.
Mix in the plain flour, corn flour, bak-
ing powder and salt. Sieve them to
remove any lumps. Add all the batter
ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add water
in small quantity to make a medium con-
sistency batter.
Insert a tooth pick in the stem of each
mushroom. Dip in the batter to cover the
mushroom and then roll in the crushed
corn flakes. Deep fry till golden brown.
Take a serving plate. Place half of a
cabbage to serve as a base. Stick the
mushrooms with a toothpick on the cab-
bage to look like umbrellas. Serve with
any sweet chili sauce.
MALAI MUSHROOM TIKKA
Ingredients
200 grams mushrooms
2 capsicums
4 slices of pineapple
4 Roma tomatoes300 grams carrot
finely grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1tsp garlic paste
2 tabs thickened cream
1 tsp salt
2 tsp mint paste
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp roasted and ground cumin
seeds1/4 coriander leaves chopped
1 tabs olive oil
tsp brown sugar
1 tabs bread crumbs
Method
Wash and wipe the mushrooms. Poke
the mushrooms by hand to allow the mari-
nade to penetrate. Cut the capsicum and
pineapple slices into quarters. Remove the
inside seeds of the capsicum and cut each
quarter of capsicum into half to get about
16 pieces. Cut slices of tomatoes.
Prepare the marinade by mixing all the
ingredients. Mix in the poked mush-
rooms, capsicum pieces, pineapple pieces
and tomato slices in the marinade. Mix
well so that the marinade is applied to all
mushrooms, capsicum, pineapple slices
and tomatoes. Keep aside for 1 hour.
Now place 1 mushroom, 1 piece of
capsicum, 1 piece of pineapple and then 1
piece of tomato slice on a skewer. Repeat
this combination so that all items are on
skewers.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
Celsius and bake the skewers for 15 min-
utes.
Serve hot garnished with lemon and
red onion wedges.
MOTI DANA CUTLET
Ingredients
3 cups kala chana boiled
cup frozen peas
1 onion chopped
1 inch ginger piece chopped finely
tsp garlic paste
cup bread crumbs
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
tsp black pepper freshly ground
1 cup semolina
Oil for frying
Method
Mash the boiled chana and peas togeth-
er with a hand masher. Add the onion,
green chili, coriander leaves, ginger, gar-
lic paste, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and
lemon juice. Mix well and divide into 14
to16 equal portions. Shape each portion
into a ball. Then flatten it between palms
(parry or cutlet shape). Roll each patty in
semolina to cover the outside.
Deep fry till golden brown on both
sides. Place over paper towel to remove
any excess oil.
Serve hot with green salad (cucumber,
tomato and onion) and garnished with
lemon wedges.
MASALA DIPS
Ingredients
1 cup natural yoghurt
1 tsp red chili powder
tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds roasted and
ground
tsp Garam masala
1 onion chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
1-1/2 tabs oil
tsp mustard seeds
tsp kalonji (onion seeds)
6 to 8 curry leaves
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tabs mint leaves chopped
Method
Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the
mustard seeds and onion seeds and cook
till they pop. Add onions and cook for a
couple of minutes. Add red chili powder,
coriander powder and Garam masala and
cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and
allow to cool.
Place all the ingredients in a food
processor and blend to get a yummy dip.
Use this dip on crisp bread, toast or
snack biscuits.
For a crunchy feel, crushed nuts can be
added.
Starters and Dips
By Promila Gupta
Ghee: the new
super food!
A
yurveda consid-
ers ghee the
ultimate
cooking oil due to
its cooking prop-
erties, wonderful
taste and many
healing benefits.
Most of the
Ayurvedic medicines use ghee as a medium for
absorption as it helps deliver the phytochemi-
cals of herbs directly into the cells.
With its rich, buttery taste and flavour you
can use half or two-thirds of ghee compared to
other cooking oils. It also has a very high
burning point and can be used to saut, bake,
deep-fry plus as a spread or topping. Ghee
causes less load on liver and nourishes each and
every tissue of the body including liver which
is the hardest working organ.
It is being claimed as the new super food
and one can make herbal ghee at home using
by boiling herb:butter:water in the ratio of
1:4:16 burnt gently on a low fire till only the
ghee remains. All the properties of herbs are
absorbed in the ghee. A Brahmi ghee is good
for nerves. Trifla oil is for strong, healthy hair
and stops the hair from going grey when used
internally. For topical use one can use coconut
oil instead of the butter.
Ghee, also known as clarified butter, is a
semi-liquid form of butter with the water, lac-
tose and other milk solids cooked out. Because
it contains no water, it does not spoil easily and
does not need to be refrigerated.
Ghee has many benefits for the body and
mind:
Loosens and liquefies the toxins and
allows them to be released
Carries the healing benefits of herbs,
spices and foods deeper into the body
Lubricates and moistens the membranes
and tissues, protecting them from damage
Lubricates the digestive system, aiding in
digestion and assimilation of nutrients
Promotes learning, memory and recall as
well as supporting a healthy vision, voice,
intelligence and brain function
Enhances immunity and helps maintain
good health, vitality and longevity
Is excellent for balancing the Vata Dosha
which control all movement in the body and the
mind, including the nervous system
As we prepare to enter the Vata or fall sea-
son which tends to dry you out, taking some
extra oil in your diet can be helpful. Ghee can
be a wonderful ingredient to add into your
foods, especially during this time of year.
However, if you have high cholesterol or other
health concerns, check with your practitioner
first.
How to prepare ghee : Take 1 pound of
unsalted organic butter and put it in a heavy,
medium-sized pan. Begin to melt the butter on
medium heat, then turn down enough that the
butter just boils gently. Continue to cook at
this heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally,
for about 12-15 minutes. The butter will foam
and sputter awhile then quiet down and eventu-
ally begin to smell like popcorn and turn a
lovely golden colour.
Whitish curds will form on the bottom of the
pot. When these whitish curds turn a light tan
colour, the ghee is ready. Take it off the heat
immediately for this is when the ghee will
most easily and likely burn. Burned ghee has a
nutty smell and a dull, slightly brownish
colour. Overall, the cooking time should not
be longer than 15-20 minutes depending on
your pan and heat source.
Also Mothers Classes
at Baulkham Hills
Reiki Therapist
Manju is a qualified Reiki therapist. Reiki heals Physical,
Mental, Emotional and Spiritual states. I can offer a wide
range of Reiki services to heal the body, mind and spirit. I
am dedicated to my clients and takes pride in assisting their
healing by channelling this wonderful energy.
Reiki is simple natural healing system through the laying on
hands energy is channeled to the area most needed for bal-
ance. Every treatment is different and healing occurs from
the inside and out. Reiki with Manju is truly a positive and
spiritual experience.
To see if Reiki could possibly help you
please call,
Manju Mittal - 0425 204 364
Body-Mind-Spirit
I
am excited to write about an
Indian spiritual guru known as
Mother Meera who may not be
so well known in Australia but
thousands of people in Europe and
the United States have sought her
blessings over the past 35 years.
My enthusiasm stems from the
fact that she will be making a tour
to four cities here in Australia der
in June this year and I would not
want to miss the opportunity to get
her silent darshan (blessings).
I had heard about her grace so
I made a trip to her home located
beside a castle at Schloss
Schumburg in the German munici-
pality of Balduinstein in November
2008.
Some see Mother Meera as the
Virgin Mary, others as Jesus or
Buddha or the Indian deities Kali,
Durga or Krishna. Many people
who have met her have returned
with wonderful experiences of
peace, love, compassion and heal-
ing.
They say that her gaze pene-
trates the soul, heart and mind and
her silence expresses the majestic
power of her love and purity. Her
blessings are free but reservations
are required and should be made
by telephone several weeks in
advance as she only sees about 200
people per session.
Mother Meera only gives
blessings from Friday to Monday
for two hours a day starting at
7pm. Her requirements are visitors
should come with washed hair and
dressed in casual wear and clean
socks, and they must sit before her
for two hours in silence.
I made my way to her home
after a one-and-a-half hour train
ride from Frankfurt. I mentioned
to the train ticket conductor I was
getting off at Balduinstein and he
replied Good ... so you are going
to see Mother Meera.
Balduinstein is a small town
with a river flowing through it,
and it is dotted with castles and
cottage hotels (just like the images
found in fairytale books and post-
cards). It is said the towns eco-
nomic activities are reliant on the
many visitors who come to meet
Mother Meera throughout the
year.
People queue outside Mother
Meeras house before the blessing
session. I had made a reservation
to meet her and took a 30 minute
walk through a narrow forest road
to her house located on a hill over-
looking the picturesque Lahn
River valley.
There were people arriving in
busloads and at 6.15pm, our
names were checked with the
reservation list before we were
allowed into the three-storey build-
ing.
The moment I stepped foot in
it, I could feel it was a sacred
space as there was complete
silence and I could smell the fra-
grance of sandalwood incense.
As a first timer, I was urged to
sit in the front row before a raised
dais surrounded by curtains and
carpets in soothing orange. There
was no religious paraphernalia or
images of any deity displayed, nor
was there any chanting of mantras
or devotional music. Everyone just
waited in the hall in complete
silence.
There is strictly to be no talk-
ing before and after darshan, no
turning of heads, no crossing or
extending legs and absolutely no
fidgeting. Peace, relaxation and
harmony are the themes encour-
aged during her service. Children
are disallowed but parents are
requested to pass on the energy to
their children.
Everyone stood up with hands
clasped in prayer when Mother
Meera, a pleasant-looking, tradi-
tional Indian woman clad in an
orange sari, arrived at 7pm. She
took her seat on a comfortable sofa
on the platform and started giving
her darshan.
Her volunteers were all
European men and her timing fol-
lowed German precision and I was
the only non-European in the
crowd. When my turn came, I
approached her and knelt down
before her. She held my head with
both her hands for 10 seconds and
later gazed into my eyes for 30
seconds. (Followers are requested
to look into her eyes as part of the
blessing process).
Her eyes are powerful and I
had difficulty concentrating on
them. As I moved away from her,
it felt like a surge of energy had
just entered my body. I also
realised that she had spent an extra
few seconds on me, maybe
because I required more healing as
I was down with a bad flu.
After receiving her darshan,
many of her followers were smil-
ing, others were relieved and some
were even teary-eyed and in a state
of bliss.
When I asked why Mother
Meera doesnt talk, I was told that
the most powerful transmission of
divine energy and experience
comes when the mind is quiet.
Mother Meera offers blessings to
people of all faiths.
So what exactly does Mother
Meera do in darshan?
According to her book, The
Mother (published in English,
German and French), on the back
of every human being is a white
line. In fact, two lines start from
the toes and rise along the legs but
these join at the base of the spine
to become a single line which goes
up to the top of the head.
This line is finer than a strand
of hair but sometimes it has knots
in it and spiritual gurus can help to
undo these tangles. This is very
delicate work and great care has to
be taken because there is danger to
your life if the thread is broken.
When Mother Meera holds a
followers head, she is untying
these knots and also removing
other kinds of obstacles to spiritu-
al practice and self-discipline.
When she is finished with the
therapy, people look into her eyes
in silence. With regard to this she
says: Im looking into every cor-
ner of your being and Im looking
at everything within you to see
where I can help, where I can give
healing and power.
Mother Meera was born
Kamala Reddy, the daughter of
farmer parents, in the village of
Chandepalle in Andhra Pradesh,
India, on December 26, 1960.
Even as a child, she was excep-
tional and her spiritual evolution
was rapid. She is said to have had
her first samadhi (a state of com-
plete spiritual absorption) at the
age of six, which lasted for a
whole day.
When she was 12, her uncle
became convinced that she was the
Divine Mother and started to take
care of her. In 1974, he took her to
the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in
Pondicherry, and this was where
she first met Westerners and start-
ed to give darshan. In 1981, she
made her first trip to West
Germany and married a local man
a year later.
Over the years, she has come
to give grace and power to people
from all walks of life and is seen as
a healer and protector of followers
from all faiths. Although Mother
Meera is not a doer of miracles,
many people have experienced
much satisfaction after seeing her.
As for me, the bad flu I caught due
to the very cold weather disap-
peared after my meeting with her.
I would like to urge all those
who value the power of sight and
silence not to miss the opportunity
to receive Mother Meera's bless-
ings. Mother Meera will be at
Gold Coast on June 27 at 10am at
Crowne Plaza, 2807 Gold Coast
Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217,
Canberra on June 28 at 10am at
Ibis Styles Hotel, 203 Goyder
Street, Narrabundah, ACT 2604,
Sydney on June 29 at 10am at
Royal Motor Yacht Club, 46
Prince Alfred Parade, Newport
NSW 2106 and in Melbourne on
June 30 at 10am at Treacy Centre,
126 The Avenue, Parkville VIC
3052.
T. Selva is the author of the
bestseller book Vasthu Sastra
Guide. To get a copy call Devi at
0412 623 017 and he can be con-
tacted at: tselvas@pd.jaring.my
VasthuSastra
By T. Selva
This is the picturesque town in Germany where Mother Meera lives.
Her house is located on a hill beside the castle and overlooks
the pretty Lahn River valley.
Of Indian origin, Mother Meera gives silent darshan to remove
obstacles to your spiritual practice and self-discipline.
T
o commemorate the chang-
ing of the guard in Indian
governance here are some
jokes and quotes on politics.
Politics is the art of looking for
trouble, finding it everywhere,
diagnosing it incorrectly and apply-
ing the wrong remedies.
-GROUCHO MARX
I want you to know that when
we talk about war, we're really
talking about peace.
-GEORGE W. BUSH
Politics, noun. A strife of inter-
ests masquerading as a contest of
principles. The conduct of public
affairs for private advantage.
-AMBROSE BIERCE
If we send industrialists to jail,
we would be discouraging invest-
ment.
-- SALMAN KHURSHID,
former Indian minister
We will let our friends be the
peacekeepers and the great country
called America will be the pace-
makers.
-GEORGE W. BUSH
Political language is designed to
make lies sound truthful and mur-
der respectable and to give an
appearance of solidity to pure
wind.
-GEORGE ORWELL
To my understanding consump-
tion of fast food contributes to such
incidents (rape) - chow mein leads
to hormonal imbalance evoking an
urge to indulge in such acts.
--JITENDER CHHATAR,
a Haryana man
I believe we are on an irre-
versible trend towards more free-
dom and democracy, but that could
change.
-DAN QUAYLE
One should not be too adven-
turous being a woman.
-SHEILA DIKSHIT
Politics is a pendulum whose
swings between anarchy and tyran-
ny are fuelled by perpetually reju-
venated illusions.
-ALBERT EINSTEIN
The most perfect political com-
munity is one in which the middle
class is in control and outnumbers
both of the other classes.
-ARISTOTLE
In politics we presume that
everyone who knows how to get
votes knows how to administer a
city or state. When we are ill, we
do not ask the handsomest physi-
cian or the most eloquent one
-PLATO
Those who say religion has
nothing to do with politics do not
know what religion is.
--MAHATMA GANDHI
I always tell people that reli-
gious institutions and political insti-
tutions should be separate. So
while I'm telling people this, I con-
tinue with them combined.
Hypocrisy.
--DALAI LAMA
The first panacea for a misman-
aged nation is inflation of the cur-
rency; the second is war. Both
bring a temporary prosperity; both
bring permanent ruin. Both are the
refuge of political and economic
opportunists.
--ERNEST HEMINGWAY
Believe you can and you're
halfway there.
-THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Political power grows out of
the barrel of a gun.
--MAO ZEDONG
An empty stomach is not a
good political advisor.
--ALBERT EINSTEIN
We believe that to err is human to
blame it on someone else is politics.
--HUBERT HUMPHREY
H
ansne ki chah ne kitna
mujhe rulaya hai. Change
the words of this immortal
Manna Dey song a bit. Husna ki
chah ne kitna mujhe rulaya hai
(How much the desire to be beauti-
ful has made me cry). That also
holds true. These very sentiments
have been expressed time and again
in a myriad ways by people, espe-
cially women, in their quest for
and trial of various beauty, skin
enhancement, anti-aging, wrinkle
erasing, hair growth, fairness and
what have you products.
This series of mini articles will
look at what is really out there in
the name of beauty, whether it is a
skin care or bath product, deodor-
ant or shampoo. What is lurking in
your lotions, nail polishes and yes,
perfumes? Are there natural alter-
natives out there? What exactly is
natural? These are not meant to
scare you or make you paranoid,
but to make you aware so you can
make informed choices.
That said, beauty is not skin
deep, although the skin is the
largest organ in our bodies. A lot
of our skin and hair problems are
caused by allergies, exposure to the
elements, lack of vitamins and
essential minerals, dehydration,
toxins in our systems, chemicals in
products and yes, stress. All the
products in the world would be
useless if these problems are left
unaddressed.
What bothers me most is that in
spite of the trade practice laws, a
product can make all sorts of
claims in an advertisement, be it an
anti- aging cream or a lotion claim-
ing to remove wrinkles. All under
the loose definition of puffery in
advertising. The United States
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
for example, defined puffery as a
"term frequently used to denote the
exaggerations reasonably to be
expected of a seller as to the
degree of quality of his product,
the truth or falsity of which cannot
be precisely determined.
Hmmmm.
I will begin by saying, how
about if we were to wipe the slate
clean. Imagine, as it were, that
there was no product available, no
ads trying to convince you into
buying this or that miracle that will
transform you into a flawless,
model version of yourself? What
would you do to moisturize your
skin, wash your hair, clean your
teeth, bathe? Go on; let your imag-
ination run wild. Where would you
start? How about the kitchen, your
garden, the grocery store, maybe?
Lets see whats in my kitchen -
coconut oil, olive oil. What about
them? For this time I will take up
the amazing properties and benefits
of one of these two fantastic oils.
By now you must have got the drift
of where I am leading with this. I
am talking of natural, or if you
prefer, natural alternatives, prod-
ucts made of natural or non-harm-
ful substances. I am asking you to
stop and think, before you slather
on that paraben containing lotion
oraluminum containing deodorant.
What chemicals you are exposing
yourself, your families, your chil-
dren to. Okay, back to the wonder
oil. Coconut oil can work wonders
for dry, damaged, can't-get-the-
tangle-out hair and prevents frizz.
That is because its fatty acids soft-
en hair. It is also a greatmakeup
remover - takes off the most stub-
born mascara with ease due to its
gentle grime-removing action and
antibacterial properties.
Lip balm the oils fatty acids
create a barrier, locking moisture
in, making a great lip balm. One of
the properties of coconut oil is that
it is anti-fungal, great for cuticles
and helps make nails stronger. The
emollient nature of the coconut oil
keeps the cuticles soft. It doesn't
help nails grow, but it can definite-
ly keep them from becoming brit-
tle. It makes a great scrub with salt
or sugar, exfoliating and removing
dead skin. As a moisturizer, not
many oils can match it. It is a won-
derful skin cleanser, just by rub-
bing some oil and steaming with
warm towels.
Soaps made with coconut and
olive oil combined lather and mois-
turize beautifully. It is one of the
most sought after ingredients in
lotions, shampoos and body butters
today. So much for now, we will
explore other natural alternatives
and some ethical issues concerning
commercially available products as
we go.By Meena Mahanty
Hansne ki chah ne kitna mujhe
rulaya hai. Change the words of
this immortal Manna Dey song a
bit. Husna ki chah ne kitna mujhe
rulaya hai (How much the desire to
be beautiful has made me cry).
That also holds true. These very
sentiments have been expressed
time and again in a myriad ways by
people, especially women, in their
quest for and trial of various beau-
ty, skin enhancement, anti-aging,
wrinkle erasing, hair growth, fair-
ness and what have you products.
This series of mini articles will
look at what is really out there in
the name of beauty, whether it is a
skin care or bath product, deodor-
ant or shampoo. What is lurking in
your lotions, nail polishes and yes,
perfumes? Are there natural alter-
natives out there? What exactly is
natural? These are not meant to
scare you or make you paranoid,
but to make you aware so you can
make informed choices.
That said, beauty is not skin
deep, although the skin is the
largest organ in our bodies. A lot
of our skin and hair problems are
caused by allergies, exposure to the
elements, lack of vitamins and
essential minerals, dehydration,
toxins in our systems, chemicals in
products and yes, stress. All the
products in the world would be
useless if these problems are left
unaddressed.
What bothers me most is that in
spite of the trade practice laws, a
product can make all sorts of
claims in an advertisement, be it an
anti- aging cream or a lotion claim-
ing to remove wrinkles. All under
the loose definition of puffery in
advertising. The United States
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
for example, defined puffery as a
"term frequently used to denote the
exaggerations reasonably to be
expected of a seller as to the
degree of quality of his product,
the truth or falsity of which cannot
be precisely determined.
Hmmmm.
I will begin by saying, how
about if we were to wipe the slate
clean. Imagine, as it were, that
there was no product available, no
ads trying to convince you into
buying this or that miracle that will
transform you into a flawless,
model version of yourself? What
would you do to moisturize your
skin, wash your hair, clean your
teeth, bathe? Go on; let your imag-
ination run wild. Where would you
start? How about the kitchen, your
garden, the grocery store, maybe?
Lets see whats in my kitchen -
coconut oil, olive oil. What about
them? For this time I will take up
the amazing properties and benefits
of one of these two fantastic oils.
By now you must have got the drift
of where I am leading with this. I
am talking of natural, or if you
prefer, natural alternatives, prod-
ucts made of natural or non-harm-
ful substances. I am asking you to
stop and think, before you slather
on that paraben containing lotion
oraluminum containing deodorant.
What chemicals you are exposing
yourself, your families, your chil-
dren to. Okay, back to the wonder
oil.
A funny game called politics
Inner Space
By Faith Harper
By Meena
Mahanty
Beauty
without
Tears
Columns
Unfashionable coconut oil has multiple uses
Body-Mind-Spirit
By Jamuna Rangachari
C
hakras mirror our entire life, what
we have gone through, and where
we stand today. They reflect the
level of our evolution. By working on them
not only do we heal ourselves, but also
progress faster on the spiritual path.
What are chakras?
Chakra in English means wheel. There
are seven major chakras, each of which is
located in a specific area, has a specific
name, and a specific set of functions. They
regulate the energy flow throughout our
bodies, and also govern the seven major
endocrine glands and thereby, various parts
of our bodies. They show us where we are,
at any stage in life.
1. The mooladhara chakra
(root chakra)
Related senses: Smell
Colour: Red
Musical note: Sa in the Indian system,
Do in the Western system
Bija mantra: Lam
Associated diety: Ganesh
This chakra represents the feeling of
being grounded and secure. When out of
sync, it can lead to a feeling of nervousness
which is often encountered by people facing
a new or challenging situation. Beginning
at the base of the spine, our first chakra,
mooladhara, translates from Sanskrit as
root or foundation. This makes sense,
because without a firm foundation one can
feel unstable and unsafe.
The root chakras element is Earth.
This chakra is located in the perineum,
between the anus and the sex organs. The
emotional issues related with this chakra
are survival issues relating mostly to money
and food. It controls the lymphatic and the
skeletal system, sacral plexus which con-
trols the bladder and elimination, and the
legs. The symptoms of imbalance in the
root chakra are disorders of the bowel and
large intestine, eating disorders, depres-
sion, immunity-related disorders, chronic
lower back pain, and lack of energy.
Affirmation: I am always safe and
secure.
Meditation on this chakra
Meditate, telling yourself that your
needs will be looked after and that all is
well and safe. Visualise the colour red in
the region of the chakra and play the note
sa if possible. Chant Lam at least three
times.
2. Svadhisthana chakra
(sacral chakra)
Related sense: Taste
Colour: Orange
Element: Water
Musical note: Re in the Indian sys-
tem, Re in the Western system
Bija mantra: Vam
Associated diety: Vishnu
Svadhisthana is a Sanskrit word that lit-
erally translates into ones own abode and
the root svad also translates into, to taste
with pleasure, to enjoy, or take
delight. The svadhisthana holds your con-
nection to your emotions, desire and sexu-
ality. Located in the centre of the abdomen,
this chakra is associated with the parts of
the consciousness concerned with food and
sex. It is about the bodys communication
to the Being inside, about what the body
wants and needs, and what it finds pleasur-
able. This system controls the reproductive
system, sexual organs and lumbar plexus.
The sense associated with this chakra is the
sense of taste and appetite. The imbalances
in this chakra could cause frigidity, impo-
tence or gluttony.
Affirmation: I take pleasure in life.
Meditate telling yourself that your
needs will be looked after, and that all is
well and safe. Satisfy your need but not
your greed, yet do not deny yourself either.
Visualise the colour orange in the region of
the chakra and play the note Re. Chant
Vam three times.
3. Manipur chakra
(solar plexus)
Related senses: The sense of sight
Colour: Yellow
Element: Fire
Musical note: Ga in the Indian system,
Me in the Western
Bija mantra: Ram
Associated diety: Maharudra Shiva
She has a fire in the belly, is a phrase
we often hear. This is quite apt since this
chakra, located in the belly region, is about
power.
The organs associated with this chakra
include the muscular system, the skin, the
large intestine, stomach, liver, pancreas
and endocrine glands that exist in the
region of the solar plexus. It also impacts
the eyes, as the organs of sight, and the
face. Consciousness associated with this
chakra include power, control, freedom,
and the ease with which one is able to be
himself. Mental activity and the mental
body is also associated with this chakra.
The element associated with this chakra is
fire and the sun. Imbalances in this chakra
could result in diabetes or issues with eye-
sight.
Affirmation: I own my power.
Meditating on this chakra
Meditate on being your true self without
the need to control or exercise power.
Visualise the colour yellow in the region of
the chakra and play the note Ga. Chant
the seed mantra Ram three times.
4. Anahata chakra
(heart chakra)
Related senses: The sense of touch
Colour: Green
Element: Air
Musical note: Ma in the Indian system,
Fa in the Western system
Bija Mantra: Yam
Associated diety: Sada Shiva
While the first three chakras are entire-
By realizing the significance of our chakras and meditating upon them, we ensure
good health as well as onward spiritual progress, says Jamuna Rangachari
Body-Mind-Spirit
ly about ones relationship with oneself,
from the anahata onward, the chakras begin
to deal with our relationship with others,
and our perception of the world.
Located in the centre of the chest, this
chakra is associated with the heart, the cir-
culatory system, and the cardiac plexus, the
lungs and the entire chest area. The gland
associated with this chakra is the thymus
gland that controls the immune system.
Perceptions of love, relationships, relat-
ing with people close to your heart, like
your partner, siblings, parents, children,
are identified with this chakra. Difficulty
with breathing, or with the lungs, the organ
of air, indicates tension in the heart chakra.
A persons relationship with air reflects his
relationship with love. AIDS is a problem
with the persons perceptions of love, since
it is the immune system which is affected.
The person feels that their lifestyle sepa-
rates them from those they love, often
because of societal judgment.
Affirmation: I give and receive love
Meditating on this chakra
Perceive the love around you and
release all feelings of feeling unloved.
Visualise the colour green in the region of
the chakra and play the note Ma if possi-
ble. Chant Yam at least three times.
5. Vishuddha chakra
(throat chakra)
Chakra: Vishuddha or cornucopia centre
Location: Base of the throat
Related senses: Sense of hearing
Colour: Blue
Element: Ether
Musical note: Pa in the Indian system,
So in the western
Bija Mantra: Ham
Associated diety: Ishwara
This chakra relates to expressing and
receiving. Expression can be in the form of
communicating ones needs and desires, or
it can pertain to creative self-expression
such as art, dance or music. This chakra
controls the throat, neck, the arms, hands,
and the bronchial or cervical plexus.
Symptoms of its imbalance include thyroid
and throat infections. The gland associated
with it is the thyroid gland.
Metaphysically, this chakra is related to
creativity, and manifesting in the physical
world the fulfillment of ones goals.
Affirmation: I express myself freely.
Perceive a sense of abundance with the
confidence that your voice will be heard.
Visualise the colour blue in the region of
the chakra. Play the note Pa. Chant the
seed mantra Ham three times.
6. Ajna chakra
(third eye chakra)
Chakra: Ajna or consciousness awareness
Location: Centre of the forehead
Related senses: ESP or intuition
Colour: Indigo
Element: An inner sound which is relat-
ed to spiritual experience.
Musical note: Dha in the Indian system,
La in the western techniques
Bija Mantra: Om
Deity: Ardhanareshwara
The Ajna chakra, our sixth chakra,
translates to the command and perception
centre, and is where our intuition and inner
voice resides. Represented by the element
of light and tied to our power of percep-
tion, yogic poses can directly stimulate its
physical location, which is centred just
above and between the eyes. Ajna chakra
controls the pituitary gland or the master
gland of the entire endocrine system. It
stands for the deep sense of being called
spirit.
Problems in the third eye chakra can
include problems with the facial nerves,
and tumours in the pituitary gland on a
physical level. Tensions at this level can
include tensions about religion or spiritual-
ity (too many rules, spiritual addiction to
an organisation).
The element that corresponds to this
chakra is ether, which is the crossover
between the physical world and the world
of spirit.
Affirmation: I sense all that I need to
sense.
Perceive the creator in you to reach a
higher level of understanding. Visualise the
colour indigo in the region of the chakra
and play the note Dha.
Chant Om and think of both the mascu-
line and feminine aspects of our personali-
ty.
7. Sahasrara chakra
(crown chakra)
Chakra: Sahasrara or cosmic conscious-
ness
Location: Top of the head
Related senses: Empathy
Colour: Violet
Element: Inner light
Musical note: Ni in the Indian system,
Ti in the western
Bija Mantra: Om
Deity: Shiva
Sahasrara, means thousandfold, and
represents our higher connection to the
Divine. Its location at the crown of the
head defines this chakra. Sahasrara chakra
controls the entire nervous system and it
stands for our perceptions of unity or sepa-
ration. An imbalance in this chakra relates
to ones equation with people in authority
and could lead to issues in the nervous sys-
tem, such as Parkinsons and multiple scle-
rosis.
Affirmation: The Divine will always
show me the right path and direction.
Work on a balanced attitude towards
authority, making your feelings heard and
owning your power. Visualise the colour
violet in the region of the chakra and play
the note Ni, if possible. Chant Om and
think of Shiva. It is important that we main-
tain a firm foundation in our lower three
chakras. They signify safety and stability
which need to be in place before we route
this energy to the upper chakras that repre-
sent wisdom and higher order of things.
Yet chakras are not a magic wand for
all ailments. We have to battle with our
karma, the package that has been given to
us now. My guru, Promila Gurtu, who
taught me chakra meditation, passed away
due to cancer. Promila led a complete,
wholesome life till the very end, despite
battling cancer.
Through the chakras, she had reached a
higher dimension of living, and guided
many people towards the same path. She
peacefully passed away to another world
having kept all her chakras in balance till
the end. Like music, where all notes have
to be in perfect symphony for a melodious
rendition, our chakras too need to stay in
balance for us to enjoy a blissful life. And
the secret of it is regular practice.
An authority on Ayurveda, Jyotish and Tantra, this inspirational
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Sunday 15th June 9.30am till 3pm
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Column
Indians can't get enough of spicy pizza
W
herever we live in the
world, there's one
thing you can say
about almost all Indians: we love
spicy food. If it doesn't make
our tongues burn or eyes water,
we're likely to send it back to
the kitchen. And if you don't
believe me, just go to the Cold
Stone Creamery in Hoboken,
New Jersey, and ask them about
the college student from India
who ordered a cup of vanilla ice
cream. When the server asked
him what "mix-ins" he wanted,
he responded, "Do you have
crushed red pepper?"
Well, perhaps most of us
don't want our desserts to be
hot, but everything else is fair
game. Food companies and
restaurant chains who want to
cater to us had better pay heed to
this. They could all learn a les-
son from Domino's Pizza, which
operates 650 restaurants in India
and sells eight million pizzas
each month. That's enough piz-
zas to feed every single person
in Mumbai and even some of
the married folks too.
Domino's has been so suc-
cessful that its CEO, J. Patrick
Doyle, recently predicted that
India, in a few years, will over-
take Britain as the largest market
outside the U.S. How popular is
pizza in India? Well, a recent
telephone survey of middle-class
Indians found that pizza was
overwhelmingly their favorite
foreign food. Not only did 60
percent of respondents say they
love "pizza," another 15 percent
said they love "peeja."
Domino's offers a variety of
vegetarian and non-vegetarian
pizza choices in India. Among
the popular choices are "spicy
delight" and "keema do pyaaza,"
as well as "peppy paneer,"
described on the menu as
"chunky paneer with crisp cap-
sicum and spicy red pepper." If
you think the paneer is chunky,
wait till you see my relatives
who keep ordering it.
Other popular choices include
"spicy chicken," described as
"hot and spicy chicken with red
pepper that adds an extra
punch," and "5 pepper," which,
according to the Domino's web-
site, is "topped with red bell
pepper, yellow bell pepper, cap-
sicum, red paprika, jalapeno &
sprinked with exotic herb." I've
never heard of "sprinked," but it
sounds delectable.
I looked all over the website,
but didn't see any Bhut Jolokia
pizza. Bhut Jolokia, as you prob-
ably know, is one of the world's
hottest chili peppers, grown in
the Indian states of Assam,
Nagaland and Manipur. The
omission of Bhut Jolokia on the
menu means, of course, that not
all Domino's customers in India
are happy with their pizza.
Customer: "Hello, I would
like to make a complaint."
Domino's employee: "Please
give it to me, sir. I will pass it
on to our 'Not Hot Enough'
Department in Bangalore."
Customer: "You have a 'Not
Hot Enough' Department?"
Employee: "Yes, it used to
be called the Complaint
Department, but every complaint
was about pizzas not being hot
enough. A few complaints were
about cold pizzas our delivery
drivers sometimes get stuck in
traffic but most were about
pizzas that aren't spicy enough. I
assume that's what your com-
plaint is about."
Customer: "Yes, I ordered
your '5 pepper' pizza but it was-
n't hot enough. Instead of crying
from happiness, I was laughing
from disappointment. I will be
very pleased if Domino's can
add Bhut Jolokia to the pizza and
call it '5 alarm' pizza.'"
Employee: "That sounds like
a great idea. Any other com-
plaints or suggestions?"
Customer: "Yes, you know
that tomato sauce that you put on
all your pizzas, under the
cheese? Well, have you ever
thought of using vindaloo curry
sauce?"
Employee: "Yes, we tried it
once. But we almost killed a
tourist from America."
Customer: "Didn't you warn
him?"
Employee: "Yes, we did. But
he said he was from Texas and
nothing scared him. You should
have seen him running for the
fire extinguisher."
THE HUMOR OF MELVIN DURAI
Cricket
GAURAV JOSHI picks
the winners, and that
Rajasthan Royals will lift
the trophy.
A
fter nearly 50 odd games across
two different countries, IPL 7 is at
the business end. Out of the eight
teams, three have a guaranteed spot in the
semi finals (Punjab, Chennai, Rajasthan),
two are still jostling for the final spot
(Kolkata, Bangalore) while the other three
(Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad) can start
planning for the next IPL auction.
Before the IPL began, all eyes were
focussed on the player auction held on the
14th February in Bangalore. Not surpris-
ingly, the teams that purchased wisely are
the ones that will qualify for the semi-
finals.
Stand Out Team: Kings XI
Punjab
Punjab Kings XI has been the standout and
exceeding everyones expectation includ-
ing their own. They have surged on back
of a tidal wave named Glenn Maxwell.
The Australian all-rounder was instrumen-
tal in kick-starting their season and since
then his young team mates have performed
admirably. Any team that can score 200 on
four occasions in just over 10 matches is a
batting powerhouse. They have done it
without playing a single game at home.
Stand Out Player: Glenn Maxwell
Mad Max, Big Show or Maxi, call him
whatever you wish, the man from Kew,
Victoria is phenomenal. Maxwell has
amassed over 500 runs at a strike-rate of
nearly 200, which includes four scores in
the nineties. He has sent the crowd into
raptures and his arrival at the crease has
been greeted with the same noise as
received by the great Sachin Tendulkar.
Stand Out Bowler:
Yuzvendra Chahal
Like Maxwell, Chahal was part of the
Mumbai Indians winning squad last year
but was deprived of opportunities. Since
breaking through in the Bangalore team,
the former chess champion has used his
brain to outfox some of the elite batsmen in
the IPL. He has managed to keep the great-
est wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan out
of the eleven and out-bowled leg spinners
Mishra, Tambe, Karan Sharma and
Chawla. With 14 wickets and an economy
rate of under seven, despite bowling
arguably on the flattest wicket in
Bangalore, the man from Haryana might
just attract a decent sum of money in the
next auction.
Stand Out Fielder: Faf Du Plessis
The South African has been a revelation,
two of this catches feature in top five
catches in the IPL. Add it to his ground
fielding inside the circle at the start of an
innings and then his boundary riding in the
death overs has been a coaching exhibi-
tion. The amount of runs he has saved has
changed the fortune of matches on at least
three occasions given Chennai has won
four games in the last over of the match.
Best Partnership: Dwayne Smith
and Brendon McCullum
(Chennai Superkings)
The West Indian dynamo and the Kiwi
captain are amongst the top five in the
leading run scores in the IPL. The pair is
averaging 39 in 4.2 overs at the start of
each innings. Between them they have hit
nearly 50 sixes with a combined strike rate
of 132.
The pair has also added more than 50 for
the opening wicket on more than four
occasions making them the most outstand-
ing opening pair in IPL 7.
Game of the Tournament:
Chennai Superkings vs Punjab
Kings XI (Abu Dhabi)
T20 is batsmens game and there is
nothing the spectators love more than a
batting shoot out. Batting first, Chennai
scored 205. But Punjab chased it down
with six balls to spare. One of the first
games of the tournament, it was the start of
the Maxwell and Punjab juggernaut. It had
exhilarating stroke play, quality fielding
and importantly entertainment for the
packed stadium in Abu Dhabi. It was just
the game IPL 7 needed to kick-start the
tournament.
Team of the IPL (only four foreign play-
ers permitted): Dwayne Smith, Robin
Uttappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Glenn Maxwell,
AB De Villers, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav,
Bhuveshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma,
Yuvendra Chalal, Sunil Narine.
Highlights of IPL 7
Prediction: Rajasthan Royals to
be the champions.
Glenn Maxwell
Yuzvendra Chahal
Dwayne Smith
and Brendon McCullum
The Kersi Meher-Homji column
Can India regain top ranking in cricket
By Kersi Meher-Homji
I
PL is holding the centre stage in cricket as
I type but come June and international
cricket will resume. India will have a
busy schedule playing three one-day interna-
tionals (ODIs) in Bangladesh starting from
15th June and then tour England for five
Tests, three ODIs and one Twenty20 interna-
tional from 9th July to 7th September.
How will India go in England? Will they
wipe off the humiliating memory of 2011
when they had lost 0-4 by big margins?
Before I answer this, let us do some time-
travelling from 2011 till now. What a roller-
coaster ride it has been! Here is the Timeline
of Indias ups and down in the last three
years:
Won the World Cup in Mumbai in
April 2011, beating the strong Sri Lankans in
the Final.
Unconvincingly beat the West Indies 1-
0 with two drawn Tests in West Indies in June
July 2011.
Ranked No. 1 in Test cricket, India
was whitewashed 0-4 by England in England
in July August 2011.
Defeated West Indies 2-0 in India in
November 2011.
India was whitewashed 0-4 by
Australia in Australia in December 2011-
January 2012.
India beat New Zealand 2-0 in India in
August - September 2012.
England beat India 2-1 with one Test
drawn in India in November December
2012.
India whitewashed Australia 4-0 in
India in February March 2013. A sweet
revenge!
India slaughter West Indies 2-0 in India
in November 2013. The series is made mem-
orable by Sachin Tendulkars farewell in the
Mumbai Test; his 200th Test in which he
scored 74 and made an inspiring speech.
South Africa beat India 1-0 with one
Test drawn in South Africa in December
2013.
New Zealand beat India 1-0 with one
Test drawn in February 2014.
The trend is familiar, India wins Tests
played at home and loses Tests played over-
seas. The two exceptions in the last three
years were India beating West Indies in West
Indies in June July 2011 and England beat-
ing India in India 2-1 in November
December 2012. As India will be touring
England for the Pataudi Trophy in July, let us
concentrate on the England India Test
matches. Of the 107 Tests played from 1932
till now, England has won 40, lost 20 with 47
drawn. They have played 52 Test in England,
the home team winning 27 and losing five
with 20 drawn. And out of 55 played in India,
India leads 15-13
with 27 drawn. The
last time India had
won a Test series in
England was in 2007
when India under
Rahul Dravid had
won 1-0 with two
Tests drawn.
India determined to reverse their 2011 whitewash in England
Highest total for England: 7 declared for 710, Birmingham, 2011.
Highest total for India: 664, The Oval, 2007.
Most runs for England: 1725 by Graham Gooch at 55.64 in 19 Tests with
5 centuries.
Most runs for India: 2535 by Sachin Tendulkar at 51.73 in 32 Tests with
7 centuries.
Highest individual innings for England: 333 by Graham Gooch, Lords
1990.
Highest individual innings for India: 224 by Vinod Kambli, Mumbai,
1992-93.
Most wickets for England: 62 by Bob Willis at 23.24 in 17 Tests, and 62
by Derek Underwood at 27.40 in 20 Tests.
Most wickets for India: 95 by BS Chandrasekhar at 27.27 in 23 Tests.
Best bowling in an innings for England: 8 for 31 by Fred Trueman,
Manchester, 1952.
Best bowling in an innings for India: 8 for 55 by Vinoo Mankad, Chennai,
1951-52.
India under MS Dhoni, promising batsmen Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara,
Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay... and bowlers / all-rounders Ravichandran
Aswin and Ravi Jadeja should go well in England as they are brimming with
confidence. On the other hand, England is shaken up after being whitewashed
0-5 by Australia in Australia a few months ago. The first Test between India
and England starts on 9th July at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. I can hardly wait.
Vital statistics for Tests between India and England
Tendulkar has scored the most runs for India against England: 2,535 in 32 Tests.
Kambli holds the record of highest individual innings score: 224 (1992-93).
India under MS Dhoni, promising batsmen Kohli, Pujara, Dhawan, and bowlers / all-rounders Aswin and Jadeja
should go well in England as they are brimming with confidence.
BS
Chandrasekhar
has taken the
most wickets
for India
against
England:
95 in 23 Tests.
The Kersi Meher-Homji column
T
hanks to Twenty20 cricket, especially
IPL and Big Bash League, sixes are
dime a dozen these days. But in the
past sixes were rare and had a special
appeal, comparable to sex appeal. Well,
almost!
First-class cricket was played for 153
years before the great West Indian Garry
Sobers playing for Nottinghamshire hit
Glamorgans Malcolm Nash for six sixes in
a six ball over at Swansea on 31 August
1968. This was the first instance in first-
class cricket and has been achieved only
once since by Bombays Ravi Shastri against
Barodas Tilak Raj in Bombay in 1984-85.
Grahame Lloyds 232-page book:
Howzat? The Six Sixes Ball Mystery
revolves round that famous six-ball over by
Nash to Sobers. It is not so much about
those sixes but about the ball which was hit.
Imagine a book on six balls lasting about ten
minutes!
It is more than a cricket book. It is inves-
tigative journalism involving interviews with
about hundred individuals connected with
this so-called conspiracy, perhaps a scam.
Scam? I can imagine you jumping out of
your chair and skin! It has nothing to do
directly with the cricketers, let me assure
you. Here is the run down.
History was made 38 years after those
six sixes were skied by Sobers in a six ball
over. In 2006 the ball, supposedly smashed
around Swansea by the West Indies legend,
was sold for a world record 26,400 at the
reputed auctioneer Christies in London.
Author Lloyd states that it could not
have been the correct one because it was of
the wrong make. It saddened me to discov-
er one indisputable, incontrovertible fact:
the ball sold by Christies for 26,400 in
2006 was not the actual ball bowled by
Nash. It could not have been the genuine
article because it was the wrong make
manufactured by Duke rather than by
Surridge, states Lloyd categorically and
adds, I was also aware that only one ball
had been used in this over, not three as
claimed by Christies.
Lloyd is very thorough in his investiga-
tion interviewing all the players and organ-
isers involved in that 1968 match, especially
bowler Nash and batsman Sobers. Sobers
had signed the certificate of authenticity.
Both stated that only one ball was used in
that famous six-sixes over.
The author found a Glamorgan newslet-
ter dated December 1968, which included an
article titled A World Record clutch of
Sixes. The crucial sentence in the report
read:
Glamorgan presented this ball, which
was made at the home of Stuart Surridge,
the former Surrey captain, to Nottingham to
reside in a place of honour in their Sporting
Museum.
So the Duke ball auctioned by Christies
could not be the authentic ball. Many
Glamorgan players of the 1960s vintage
agreed that only Surridge balls were used in
matches. When Sobers was asked by a
reporter from Nottingham Evening Post in
2008 if he could remember the ball he had
given to John Gough, the then secretary of
Nottinghamshire Supporters Association,
he replied, How can I? That was 40 years
ago. I never saw it until two years ago when
she [Jose Miller, John Goughs successor]
brought it.
The narration goes on like a detective
story, a cricketing whodunit, as the author
is certain that the auctioned ball was not the
genuine article. The ball eventually ends up
in India. The author knew about it through
Bernard Shapero, an antique book dealer
from London, that the ball had been sent to
India where it was caught up in custom. It
was later resold for less than half the price.
The details are in the book.
A professional broadcaster and a jour-
nalist for more than 30 years, Grahame
Lloyd is an author of eight books, four of
them self-published. In this book he makes a
point and goes on in detail to prove it.
Lloyd concludes, It seemed to be a
story of blissful ignorance and innocence;
naivety and even stupidity, of incompetence,
perhaps even negligence; and of less-than-
diligent research, probably opportunism -
but not of fraud.
It is doubtful whether the genuine
Surridge ball hit by Sobers in 1968 will ever
be found.
My question to TIDU readers: why buy
a ball (or a bat or a glove) for 26,400? It
may turn out to be genuine or a fake. I cant
understand collectors, throwing money
away just to show off to friends and / or
clients. Or is it a money-making gimmick?
They can resell it to another collector five
years later at double the price?
Signed copy of Howzat? The Six Sixes
Ball Mystery is available from author
Grahame Lloyd at grahameatcelluloid@btin-
ternet.com for 15 plus postage and packag-
ing.
Book Review
First-class cricket was played for 153 years before the great West
Indian Garry Sobers playing for Nottinghamshire hit Glamorgans
Malcolm Nash for six sixes in an over on 31 August 1968.
In 2006 the six-sixes famed ball was sold for a world record 26,400 by Christies in London. The Duke make ball was certified by
Sobers himself as the genuine article. But the investigating author reports that many Glamorgan players of the 1960s vintage agreed
that only Surridge balls were used in matches those days.
Garry Sobers
playing that
legendary
six-sixes,
six ball over.
The bowler,
Malcolm
Nash
who was
smashed for
six sixes.
Howzat? The Six Sixes Ball Mystery by
Grahame Lloyd (Celluloid Ltd., UK, 2013)
June - July 2014 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 49

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