Indian

Indian Log on to www.iwk.co.nz

March 4, 2011
Volume 2, No. 23
New Zealand’s first Indian weekend magazine
For free distribution

Community | 19 Hertiage | 26 Bollywood | 20

Tee proves a class act What makes India Tete a tete with
Maximum? Zeenat Aman

Does the
astronomical
extent of black
money in India
make your
heart bleed?
You can do
something about it.

Call 09-6223308 or
021-1227516 and
speak to Aryan

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and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
New Zealand

Sikhs’ lifeline to Christchurch’s

Indian students
The Sikh community in the South Island must
be commended for the speed and efficiency
with which it rose to the occasion to deal with
the situation affecting Indian students fol-
lowing the February 22 earthquake in Christ-
church.
Members of the community swiftly rallied
around to co-ordinate the evacuation of Indian
students studying and residing in the stricken
city.
Though there has been extensive damage
to business and property interests of people of
Indian origin – the most pressing issue was the
students who do not have friends or family to
support them.
These students could not contact their
parents back in India as their cell phone bat-
teries went flat. Also, they did not have easy
access to cash due to ATMs not working and
hence some of them could not recharge their
phones – causing a breakdown in communica-
tion with their families in India.
Rajinder Singh, a good Samaritan in
Christchurch, has been busy co-ordinating
the rescue and relocation efforts of students.
Vardeep Singh, Manoj, Tarun Juneja and Ar-
vinder Singh the four students widely reported
in the Indian media as missing have been ac-
counted for and are safe.   Singh, Mamta Saini, Saurav Kumar, Maninder
Most of these students have been safely
moved to Blenheim where they have been pro-
vided with accommodation, food and it has
been ensured that they have made contact with
their families and assured them of their safety.  Singh.
The students pictured in Blenheim are
Vikas Sharma, Rajwinder Singh, Surender
Singh, Naresh Kumar, Neelima Dhiman,
Naveen Kaur, Navneet Kaur, Sharandeep
Kaur, Easha, Nancy, Yogesh Bhargav, Bhu-
pinder Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, Raj Kumar,
Surender Singh, Mandeep Kaur, Neetu,
Sandeep Dhamrait, Harpreet Dhillon, Ga-
nagandeep Kaur, Navdeep Singh, Arvinder
Singh, Gurleen Dhanoa, Amrit Brar, Gaga-
ndeep Sethi, Parul Chopra, Surinder Gill,
Sukhdeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Amanpre-
et Singh, Birbhan Bhagat, Jaksir and Taranjot
Five houses have been temporarily rented
in Blenheim and accommodation provided to
these students. Narinder Singh of Blenheim
co-ordinated this commendable effort. Con-
tractors Didar Singh and Mani of Te Puke
have also been co-ordinating the relocation
of students and have even offered them tem-
porary accommodation and jobs to maintain
their cash flows in the interim.
According to Gurpreet Arora of the New
Zealand Police, who has been camping in

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Indian
New Zealand
INZBC handles high growth with new rules
Auckland: The India New Zealand Business Rae and Paddy Marra for their work in produc-
Council has had the first serious update of its con- ing and securing the constitutional changes and
stitution since inception in 1988. Rapid member particularly thanked INZBC Patron Sir Richard
growth over the past 12-18 months has lead to Hadlee for his generosity of spirit and time in
changes of approach in strategy, governance, and associating his world-wide mana and reputation
other aspects of its operation. A Special General with the Council.
Meeting was held recently in Auckland at the “The organisation has doubled in size over the
Headquarters of ANZ Bank. past year or so and with an active chapter structure
Chair, Wenceslaus Anthony presided over the now in place, it is expected that membership will
meeting with Wellington-based Treasurer and continue to grow as a result of the increased level
ex-Chair Paddy Marra and Honorary Solicitor, of activity. Having better online communication
Warwick Wright of Rainey Collins Wright. tools such as our new website at www.inzbc.org
A quorum of members attended from Auck- and a newsletter distribution system are enabling
land, Wellington and Christchurch. us to support more members better. The organisa-
Christchurch since the day of the quake, to Surinder Tandon of Christchurch. Member The new constitution was unanimously passed tion has reached a new stage in its development. ”
there has been no lives lost of any person of of Parliament Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi has and plans announced for an Annual General He then said that people with relevant expe-
Indian origin and all also been camping Meeting by June 2011 - the first to be held under rience, business standing and integrity such as
the students have also in Christchurch and the new rules. Fergus McLean would be invited to be part of
been accounted for. co-ordinating relief A key change has been to enable electronic an Advisory Board, which might be convened in
The local Singh “Though there has efforts aimed at the voting so that absent members may still partici- order to provide an independent source of advice.
Sabha Gurdwara (pic- Indian diaspora. pate in the democratic activity of the organisation. He went on to say that the Council is not for
tured) has also been been extensive Meanwhile other Mr Anthony also announced that long-stand- power seekers or for politics to creep in and this is
extensively damaged stories of the gener- ing Executive Director, Fergus McLean was to to a great extent reflected in the new constitution
in this earthquake. damage to business osity of the Indian retire by end of May this year and that subsequent- as were its values of inclusion, transparency and
The brick wall on one
side totally collapsed
and property interests community have also
started to tickle in.
ly the Council was now exploring avenues to grow
the organisation’s capital base in order to fund the
integrity.
He also said that the Council is unique in the
and the other sides
are also precariously
of people of Indian Indian dairy owners
across Christchurch
employment of a CEO and Executive Assistant.
He praised Mr McLean for his long and dedi-
sense that its members and office bearers have
come in a genuine spirit of service to accelerate
hanging in there and origin – the most are reported to cated stewardship of and service to the organisa- the growth and development of business and trade
would not survive have opened their tion over many years and thanked him effusively between India and New Zealand.
any after shocks. Due pressing issue was the stores to the needy, for all his deeds on behalf of members. He thanked the Indian High Commission, the
to this the “Prakash” with many of them The Chairman thanked ANZ Bank for their Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NZTE for their
of the holy “Guru students who do not handing goods on continued support to the council in hosting support and strongly affirmed the relationship
Granth Sahib” is not
being done but efforts
have friends or family credit and even free
of cost, looking at
various events in the past year.
“ANZ has been supporting the business
established with the Council and the 2 Govern-
ments.
are being made to re-
locate.
to support them.” the need of their
regular customers
council since its inception and we see ANZ as a
key connector between the two countries. ANZ
In a surprise move, it was added that it was
hoped that a joint event held by ANZ Bank, the
From the looks of from the community. has also been supporting the Indian community at Council and its Indian ally FICCI might take place
it, the whole building – Indian Week- large at various events including Diwali, Holi and in Mumbai at the time of the Cricket World Cup in
will have to be rebuilt from scratch because ender news desk with inputs from Harjinder hosting Indian Minister Vayalar Ravi,” he said. March in Mumbai. More news is expected soon on
of the extensive structural damage, according Singh Basiala, Punjabi Herald. He acknowledged Prashanta Mukherjee, Don that front soon.

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Indian
New Zealand

CURRY MUNCHERS PREMIER RED CARPET PHOTOGRAPHS

1 3 4
2

7
5 6

10
11
12
9

VENUE: EVENT CINEMAS,

MANUKAU
DATE: 21 FEB, 2011
PHOTO CREDIT: JASON HAILER
1 L-R: Vidya Venugopalan (actor), Robyn Patterson (actor), Anand Naidu (actor)
2 -Padma Akula (script writer), Anand Naidu (actor) and Gaurav Gupta (line producer)
3 -Jazeel Mistry (actor) with Rachel
4 -Hon. Hekia Parata, Minster of Ethnic Affairs
5 -Leela Patel (actor), with Jordan Mauger (First Asst. Director) and Padma Akula (script
writer)
6 -L-R : Milt Barlow , distributor (center) with wife Catherine (L) and Jenni Churton, friend (R)
7 -Vidya Venugopalan (actor) with husband Shashank Ramkumar
8 Hon. Hekia Parata, Minster of Ethnic Affairs addressing the gathering
9 -Krittika Satija with Jenny Li (actor)
10 -Gaurav Gupta (line producer) with Jordan Mauger (First Asst. Director)
11 -Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (National MP) with wife, Rajendaran Naid (Producer), Shanta
Naidu (Exec. Producer)
12 -L-R: Monica , Bhavnesh Soni (actor), Vidya Venugopalan (actor)
13 13 -Milt Barlow (distributor), Shanta Naidu (Exec Producer), Hon. Hekia Parata, Kanwaljit
Singh Bakshi (National MP), Ross Robertson (Labour MP), Dr Rajen Prasad (labour MP),
Ashraf Choudhary (labour MP)

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Indian
Stars shine for Curry Munchers
ARVIND KUMAR
Stars spiced up the night as the red car-
pet was rolled out for the world premiere
of home grown romantic comedy movie
Curry Munchers in Auckland last week.
Created by Kiwi Indians, Curry Munchers
delves into the touchy subject of race
and discrimination in a lighthearted way.
Walking the red carpet at Manukau’s
Event Cinemas were co-creator Anand
Naidu (who plays the lead), Leela Patel,
Ajay Vashist, Vidya Sashank, Bhavnesh
Soni, line producer Gaurav Gupta, and
producers Raj Naidu and Paul Marshall,
and hundreds of invited guests, dignitar-
ies and media.
Curry Munchers, the maiden venture of
Auckland’s Mahayana Films, tells the
story of an Indian family who migrate to
New Zealand in search of a better life –
as the case is with most migrants.
Lead character Sid (Anand) is a mid-20s
student searching for meaning in his
life. His parents want him to focus on
studying to be an engineer. But Sid has
motorbikes on his mind – his mode of
leisure and travel back home in Delhi.
This leads to Sid taking up a part-time
job at an Auckland Indian restaurant
“Sangeet” without his parents’ knowl-
edge. The struggle to keep all sides
happy leads Sid to question who and
what, is most important in his new life.
But introduction to work at Sangeet
is not plain sailing at all – he has to
contend with the established rank and
command of incumbent chefs Pandeep
and Sheikh.
The two chefs, played by Tarun Mohan-
bhai and Raj Verma (of Those Indian
Guys fame), provide solid moments of
slapskick adventure sure to tickle your
funnybone.
Restaurant waitress Mary (Alison Titu-
laer) is more accommodating and estab-
lishes a good relationship with Sid, who
later ends up on the floor when Mary’s
boyfriend Ian finds them smooching at
a night spot. Sid discovers his passion
and natural flair for cooking and wants to
be a chef.
At one end the film points out the
struggle of the migrant in finding a job
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
New Zealand
in a new country, and at the other end is
the dream of proud Indian parents who
want their child to be an engineer.
“Will they ever understand that we
have dreams of our own,” is a defining
line from Sid to Mary after his parents
(played by Ajay Vashist and Leela Patel)
find out he works at a restaurant and
want him to go back to India.
Young Mary, with a good head on her
shoulders, tells Sid straight: “You should
learn to take some responsibility for your
life.”
Sid does just that and more. The end re-
sult is a good mix of drama, emotion and
comedy served up Kiwi Indian style.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable produc-
tion, made a group of passionate movie
makers low on budget, but big on heart.
Sure to be well received by audiences
the world over where curry is eaten.
Naidu, an Auckland charted accountant
in real life, says that just like Sid, he also
dreamed of a life quite different to the
one his parents’ had planned for him.
“I am a chartered account, but my life
pattern was different. I became a char-
tered accountant, then I followed my life
dream of becoming an actor.”
“New Zealand is becoming increasingly
multicultural and we’re embracing that,”
Naidu said.
“We wanted to show that we can laugh
about ourselves in a positive way. At the
same time, I also hope the film can help
debunk a few myths about Indians and
some people’s perceptions of them. In
the end, Curry Munchers a film all Kiwis
can call their own.”
Created by migrants, and directed by
a migrant too – Cristobal Araus Lobos
(1Nite, The Comedy Pilots and The Wait-
ing Place) earlier told the Indian Week-
ender that being a migrant he could
identify with the plot, and that made his
job as director easier.
Lobos has a cameo role in Curry Munch-
ers as Sid’s father Dinesh’s colleague,
Pablo, at the service station.
** Curry Munchers – by Mahayana Films –
is now screening in New Zealand, Fiji and
Australia, and is set to hit India, United
States, Canada and other countries soon.
PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance 5
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
Pasifika Festival bigger and better this year
The world’s largest Pacific event of its kind, Pa-
sifika Festival, is expanding for 2011 with a raft
of amazing events from 6 to 13 March.
Auckland’s vibrant Pasifika Festival is a
free celebration of Aotearoa’s diverse Pacific
communities, organised annually by Auckland
Tourism, Events and Economic Development
Ltd on behalf of Auckland Council.
“Pasifika is a chance for all to celebrate the
Pacific communities who are a valuable part of
our unique region,” says Mayor Len Brown.
“This year is set to be the best in the festi-
val’s 19-year history with an even bigger line up
of local and international talent.”
The festival kicks off on Sunday, 6 March at
Aotea Square with a weeklong programme of
music, performances, workshops and art exhi-
bitions culminating in the popular festival day
at Western Springs Park on Saturday, 12 March.
Aotea Centre and Aotea Square
Four art exhibitions will be open at Aotea
Centre from Monday, 6 March to Sunday, 13
March, curated by the Okaioceanikart Gallery.
The Alter-Native Surfaces exhibition showcas-
es Samoan abstract artists including US based
Sekio Fuapopo. Other exhibitions from the
Okalana Niue Arts Group and Tivaevae, from
the Cook Islands, will also be on display.
The Best of the Auditions and In Your Own
Language showcase Auckland’s top emerging
talent from Monday, 7 to Thursday, 10 March
from 1.30pm to 3pm on Auckland Arts Festi-
val’s TV3 Garden Stage in Aotea Square.
The Fakakaukau Pacific Debate Series
returns with a fresh line up of Pacific academ-
ics, educators, entertainers and personalities de-
bating topics of culture, education, religion and
more. This exciting series from Monday, 7 to
Wednesday, 9 March from 5pm at Aotea Centre.
The Pasifika Festival Opening Night Concert
takes place on Thursday, 10 March at Western
6 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Springs Park from 7pm. The concert features
performances from each of the 10 communities
represented as villages on Saturday’s festival
day and will depict this year’s Pasifika Festival
icons, eke (octopus) and the taro.
Western Springs Park
The programme closes with the highly an-
ticipated festival day on Saturday, 12 March at
Western Springs Park which will attract an es-
timated 200,000 people. Expect more than 300
stalls, 10 Pacific Island villages and 12 stages,
delicious traditional foods and flavours, non-
stop entertainment, cultural workshops, tradi-
tional and contemporary wares, art and give-
aways.
The second festival compilation album, Pa-
sifika: The Collection 2, from Dawn Raid and
Pasifika Festival, will be launched at the event.
Artists on this year’s CD include J Boog, Ladi 6,
Adeaze, Katchafire, Pieter T and more.
Pasifika Festival 2011 is proudly provided by
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic De-
velopment Ltd on behalf of Auckland Council
and supported by Air New Zealand, Flava and
The Radio Network, AUT, Smokefree, Pacific
Media Network, Creative New Zealand, Nauti-
lus Foundation, Tip Top, Maori TV and Dawn
Raid Entertainment.
There are a number of other events and ac-
tivities during festival week this year. Visit
www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events for a full
programme and further information about Pa-
sifika Festival 2011.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
New Zealand
2011 Census put off
Government Statistician Geoff
Bascand and Statistics Minister
Maurice Williamson have an-
nounced the 8 March 2011 Census
will not be held.
Mr Williamson said Mr Bascand
has advised him the census could
not be successfully completed
because of the recent Canterbury
earthquake.
The decisions have been made
after extensive consultation.
“This is not the time to go door to
door asking New Zealanders for in-
formation when they’re dealing with
the aftermath of the earthquake,”
Mr Williamson said.
“It’s unthinkable that we would ask
this of people. It would be an unfair
burden and distraction at a time
when they are grieving.”
There has been extensive damage
to Statistics New Zealand buildings
with significant impacts on census
staff.
Mr Bascand said he acknowledges
the decision will have consequenc-
es for people who use the census
data for their work.
“We will now investigate the fea-
sibility of alternative options.” Mr
Bascand said.
Indian
Trade lobbies happy with India 2011-12 budget
DIVYANSHU DUTTA ROY
New Delhi: Industry circles in India were
in general happy with Union Finance Min-
ister Pranab Mukherjee’s populist budget
as they hailed it as a commendable job
under tricky conditions.
With the government battling stiff inflation
figures and Opposition flak over corrup-
tion among other factors, Mukherjee’s
“tight-rope walk” pleased the majority of
players even as certain sectors voiced
criticism over the budget that they said
“played it too safe”.
Some experts also peg the FM’s forecast
both on growth and fiscal deficit as quite
optimistic as he focused generous spend-
ing on farm and social schemes even as
global energy markets seem shaky at
best.
But the poll-facing measures of an
increasingly left-leaning Congress party
whose reformist camp seems to have
taken a bashing from the dozens of scan-
dals have in majority gone down well with
trade lobbies.
“Nobody was expecting a big-bang
budget anyway. The finance minister had
to do a tight-rope walk and has done a
commendable and mature job,” said Alok
Mukherjea, former president, Confedera-
tion of Indian Industry (CII).
Indian Union Budget 2011-12 Highlights
-Critical institutional reforms set pace for
double-digit growth
-Scaled up flow of resources infuses dyna-
mism in rural economy
- GDP estimated to have grown at 8.6% in
2010-11
-Exports grown by 9.6%, imports by 17.6%
in April-January 2010-11 over corresponding
period last year
-Indian economy expected to grow at
9%  in 2011-12.
-Five-fold strategy to deal with black mon-
ey.   Group of Ministers to suggest ways for
tackling corruption
-Public Debt Management Agency of India Bill
to come up next financial year
- Direct Tax Code (DTC) to be effective from
April 01, 2012
-Phased move towards direct transfer cash
subsidy to BPL people for better delivery of
kerosene, LPG and fertilizer mooted
-Rs.40,000 crore to be raised through disin-
vestment in 2011-12
-FDI policy to be liberalized further
-SEBI registered mutual funds permitted to ac-
cept subscription from foreign investors who
meet KYC requirement
-FII limit for investment in corporate bonds in
infrastructure sector raised
- Additional banking license to private sector
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
INFLATION
The Associated Chambers for Commerce
and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Presi-
dent Dilip Modi said that with the budget
not mentioning surging global crude oil
prices it may fuel inflation further, impact
several sectors and upset fiscal manage-
ment of the government.
CII Deputy Chairman Ranvir Sinha,
however, said that Mukherjee had been
able to come out with a growth-oriented
budget even as he gave due attention to
social welfare plans, calling it a “wonder-
ful formula”.
He thumped the senior Congress leader
for taking positive steps for reducing
wastage and cutting costs to cool down
food inflation.
“Granting infrastructure status to cold
storages was good decision to this end,”
he said.
TAXES & DUTIES
But industry insiders were not as happy
with Pranab’s income tax decisions as
they expected a higher exemption limit
than allowed by the finance minister this
year.
With most expecting the lower limit to be
pulled up to Rs 2 lakh, the FM’s decision
to revoke income tax on annual incomes
of Rs 1.8 lakh or less did not go very well
with trade body members.
players proposed
-Rs.6000 crore to be provided in 2011-12 for
maintaining minimum Tier I Capital to Risk
Weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR) of 8% in public
sector banks
-Rs.500 crore to be provided to regional rural
banks to maintain 9% CRAR
-India Microfinance Equity Fund of
Rs.100 crore to be created by SIDBI
-Rs. 500 crore Women SHG Development
Fund to be created
-Micro Small and Medium Enterprises  MSME
gets boost as Rs. 5000 crore provided to
SIDBI  and Rs.3000 crore to NABARD
-Existing housing loan limit enhanced to
Rs.25 lakh for dwelling units
-Provision under Rural housing Fund en-
hanced to Rs.3000 crore
-Allocation under Rashtirya Krishi Vikas yo-
jna (RKVY) increased to Rs.7860 crore
-Allocation of Rs.300 crore to promote 60000
pulses villages in rainfed areas
-Rs. 300 crore vegetable initiative to achieve
competitive prices
-Rs.300 crore to promote higher production
of nutri-cereals
-Rs.300 crore to promote animal based
protein
-Rs.300 crore Accelerated Fodder Develop-
ment Programme to benefit farmers in 25000
PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
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“While the Finance Minister has increased
the general exemption limit from Rs.
160,000 to Rs. 180,000, there was a wide
expectation that he could have increased
this limit to at least Rs. 200,000,” account-
ing firm Deloitte Haskins & Sells Partner
Homi Mistry said.
The imposition of Minimum Alternate Tax
(MAT) on Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
developers and units also was frowned
upon by most, as it is expected to hit IT
firms the most who were promised tax
exemption for five years.
“Introduction of Minimum Alternate Tax
at 18.50 percent on SEZ developers and
units is a retro gate step and will have ad-
verse impact on the same,” said KPMG’s
Head of Tax Uday Ved.
However, other tax decisions like extend-
ing service tax on new items in the run up
to the introduction of a common tax, likely
next year, and not pushing up customs
and excise duties, were generally re-
ceived well.
ECONOMICS
Presidency College, Economics Depart-
ment Head, Prof. Amitava Banerjee,
however, said that more could have been
done to tackle inflation and the bulging
prices.
“The infrastructure status to warehouses
villages
-Credit flow to farmers raised from
Rs.3,75,000 crore to Rs.4,75,000 crore
-Rs.10,000 crore for NABARD’s Short Term
Rural Credit Fund for 2011-12
-15 more mega food parks during 2011-12
-National food security bill to be introduced
this year
- Capital investment in storage capacity to be
eligible for viability gap funding
-23.3% increase in allocation for infrastructure
-Tax-free bonds of Rs.30,000 crore proposed
by government undertakings
-Environmental concerns relating to infrastruc-
ture projects to  be considered  by Group of
Ministers
-National Mission for Hybrid and Electric
Vehicles to be launched
-7 Mega clusters for leather products to be set
up
-Allocation for social sector increased by 17%
amounting to 36.4% of total plan allocation
-Bharat Nirman allocation increased by
Rs.10,000 crore
-Rural broadband connectivity to all
2.5 lakh panchayats in three years.
-Bill to amend Indian Stamp Act to intro-
duce.   Rs.300 crore scheme for moderniza-
tion stamp and registration administration
India
and cold storages is not the best that he
could have done. Even though it is true
that inflation cannot be brought down in-
stantly but I don’t think enough has been
done,” he said.
But on populist measures like a food-se-
curity bill for the poor, special incentives
to the North East and Jammu & Kashmir,
Banerjee chose to side with the finance
minister as he said the money, if properly
implemented, would go a long way in
helping the masses.
MARKETS
The share market has responded posi-
tively to the Union Budget which focused
more on social sector spending and
projected a 9 percent growth in the next
fiscal.
The budget provisions boosted shares of
engineering and construction firm Larsen
and Toubro, auto maker Maruti Suzuki
and cigarette maker ITC.
The Union Budget 2011-12  proposes to
raise the FII limit for investment in corpo-
rate bonds to enhance the flow of funds to
the infrastructure sector, boosting shares
of L & T.
ITC shares rose 8.2 percent to Rs 169
while Maruti rose 3.1 at Rs 206.70, since
their excise duties remained unchanged.
The benchmark 30-share index, BSE
Sensex, ended up  0.69 percent at
17,823.40 points.
-Significant increase in remuneration of Anga-
wadi workers  and helpers
-Allocation for education increased by
24%.  Rs.21,000 crore allocated for Sarv Shik-
shya Abhiyan registering an increase of 40%
-1500 institute of higher learning to be  con-
nected by March 2012 with Knowledge Knowl-
edge Network.
-National Innovation Council set up.   Addi-
tional Rs.500 crore for National Skill Develop-
ment Fund
-Plan allocation for health stepped up by20%
-Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension
Scheme liberalized further
-Rs.200 crore for Green India Mission
-Rs.200 crore for cleaning of rivers
-Rs.8000 crore provided for development
needs of J&K
-10 lakhs Aadhaar(UID)  numbers to be gener-
ated everyday from 1st October
-Fiscal deficit kept at 4.6% of GDP for 2011-12
-Income Tax exemption limit for general cat-
egory in individual tax payers enhanced from
Rs.1,60,000 to Rs.1,80,000
-Qualifying age for senior citizens lowered
to 60; senior citizen above 80 year to get
Rs.5,00,000 IT exemption
-Surcharge on corporate lowered to 5%
7
Indian
Air Force band regales Delhiites India steps up Operation
‘Safe Homecoming’ from Libya
New Delhi: The visitors to the Central Park at Con-
naught Place in New Delhi last Saturday evening
were pleasantly surprised as they walked in, because
there was playing, the Indian Air Force Band, espe-
cially for the general public.
The Saturday evening at Central Park, that kick-
started with the band playing ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke
Logon’ became an enormous crowd puller when the
band, besides playing its usual repertoire also started
playing the audience requests.
As the musical evening wore on, one melody
started being belted out after another.
The rapt audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy
the ambience created by tunes that ranged from the
soulful ‘Havana’ to the sensational ‘Waka Waka’;
‘Dancing Queen’ to ‘Zubi Doobi’ to ‘Kaisi Kaise
Paheli Zindagani’ and many other musical scores by
the popular choice.
From the earliest times, music has been a soul stir-
ring accompaniment to the men of arms, acting as a
catalyst of exciting passion and inspiring them to go
8 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
forth and conquer. Military bands enliven the spirit,
strengthen the mood and help in promoting pride and
camaraderie.
The first Air Force Band was raised in the year
1944 at the Royal Air Force Station, Kohat, in North
Western Frontier Province. Today there are eight
bands in the Indian Air Force.
Progressing from the delightful martial music,
successive conductors of the bands enhanced the
range of its repertoire to include arrangements of
symphonies, overtures and concertos as well as other
forms of contemporary music including the Indian
Classical. These bands have been performing at
various ceremonies and official functions.
A member of the worldwide Military Music
Society, the Air Force Band has performed in India
as well as abroad at Bangkok, Finland, France, Italy,
Kaula Lumpur International Tattoo, ILA Berlin Air
Show, French National Day Celebration and recently
on India’s Independence Day Celebration at Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
Mumbai: At least 600 more Indians stranded
in Libya are expected to reach Mumbai by late
Monday as India engaged in evacuation of its citi-
zens from the restive African nation.
Two special Air India flights AI 800 (Airbus
330) and AI 171 (Boeing 744) are on their way to
Libyan capital Tripoli and they are likely to ferry
back around 600 passengers late Monday night,
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sources in-
formed.
A group of 67 evacuated Indians landed here
on Monday as India backed a United Nations
move to slap sanctions on the Moammar Gaddafi
regime in the African country.
A latest sortie by Air India brought the third
batch of Indians since evacuation began Sunday
morning.
More than 530 Indian nationals have so far
arrived home safely from capital city Tripoli in
two Air India flights, the External Affairs minis-
try said.
A help desk at the airport at Mumbai has been
set up by Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
(MOIA) in coordination with Government of Ma-
harashtra and other State Governments, to render
all assistance to the passengers including for
further travel to their hometowns.
MEA sources further said another 82 Indians
crossed over to Salloum late Sunday evening.
They are also being taken to Cairo and expect-
ed to leave by Gulf Air flight (GF-056) via Bahrain
on Tuesday, so as to reach Mumbai early on
Wednesday. The land route to Ras Jedir (Tunisia)
is also bring used and as per latest MEA updates, a
total of 378 individuals have already crossed over
from Libya.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
India
The Embassy of India officials received them
and assisted with their onward movement to and
stay at Djerba (Tunisia). A special Air India flight
is proposed to be pressed into service to fly them
back to India.
Another 100 persons are likely to similarly
cross over on Monday, MEA sources added. Indian
officials are proceeding to Sicily (Italy) to speed
up arrangements for passenger ship La Superba’s
maiden journey to Benghazi (Libya). Up to 3000
Indian nationals, including 400 who have traveled
across from Al Kufrah by road, will be evacuated
by Scotia Prince and La Superba.
Scotia Prince is expected to reach Benghazi at
1500 hours (local time) Monday and will return
to Alexandria on March two. Meanwhile Ambas-
sador Rajiva Misra has reached Malta to set up
yet another base camp for organizing sea shuttles
between Libya and Malta.
An air bridge is also proposed to be set up
between Malta and India to bring our nationals
home. There were around 18,000 Indians in Libya
and India is trying to bring back all citizens un-
harmed through its Operation Safe Homecom-
ing, evacuating citizens through land, sea and air
routes.
India supported the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) members decision to impose
sanction on Libya as all 15-0 voted for an arms
embargo and urged U.N. member countries to
freeze the assets of  Muammar Gaddafi, his four
sons and his daughter.
The UNSC also backed a travel ban on the
Gaddafi family and 10 close aides for indefinite
period holding the responsible for hundreds of
death in the north African nation.
Indian
India seeks Japanese investment in infrastructure
Tokyo: Union Commerce and
Industry Minister Anand Sharma
called on Japanese Prime Minister
Naoto Kan  in Tokyo on Tuesday
and discussed the significance
of technological collaborations
between the two nations and
Japanese investments in infra-
structure sector.
During his meeting, Prime Min-
ister Kan expressed satisfaction
on the conclusion of negotiations
for a Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
with Japan, which is being signed
on Wednesday.  Manmohan Singh.  campaign at the Kolkata Book Fair re-
Prime Minister Kan underscored
the significance of Indo Japa-
nese technology collaboration for
research and innovation. He called
for a partnership in development
of India’s infrastructure, spe-
cifically referring to Delhi Mumbai
Industrial Corridor project.
While responding,  Sharma high-
lighted the importance attached by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma meeting the Prime
India to  the Delhi Mumbai Indus- Minister of Japan,  Naoto Kan, in Tokyo on February 15, 2011
trial Corridor Project which has now
decisively moved from the stage of
master planning to project implementation. matching contribution from Indian and
This project will see investments of over
$100 billion and is being seen as a flagship agreed to enhance the financial contribu-
initiative of Indo-Japan partnership.
Minister Sharma proposed the establish-
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
ment of a revolving fund of $ 9 billion with
Japanese side to kickstart the implemen-
tation process. Japanese Prime Minister
tion of Japan and was positively receptive
to the suggestion.
PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Sharma urged for greater
Japanese investments in areas
of core infrastructure and
capital goods equipment includ-
ing power generation where
Japanese companies have a
technological edge.  activists, who launched a campaign here
During the twenty minute long
meeting,  Sharma said  India
viewed a partnership with Japan
as a ‘strategic engagement’
in the region and in the global
context. This would be central
to the vision of Asian integration
articulated by Prime Minister
Sharma is in Tokyo on a two day
visit, accompanied by a high
level official delegation includ-
ing the Commerce Secretary
and a CII CEO’s delegation led
by CII President Hari Bharatia.  other eminent personalities from diverse
Sharma will be signing the
CEPA along with the Japanese
Foreign Minister Maehara on
Wednesday.
Later in the day, he will be hold-
ing substantive bilateral meet-
ings with the METI minister to
review the progress of DMICDC project.
He will be interacting with top Japanese
CEOs to seek Japanese investments in
India in areas of priority as identified at
the Summit level interaction between the
Prime Ministers. 
Join the St John-Indian Weekender
ambulance project & help the community...
India
Sunderbans to
feature in seven
wonders of nature
Kolkata: The fragile Sunderbans may
soon feature in the new seven wonders
of nature, thanks to the efforts of green
recently to make people aware about this
ecological heritage site of India.
The Sundarbans in West Bengal,
well-known for tigers and crocodiles, is
the largest single block of tidal halophytic
mangrove forest in the world.
Civil society organisation Concern
for Environment and Rural Livelihood
(CERL), in collaboration with green ac-
tivists, launched a ‘Save Sunderbans’
cently. 
Noted climate change researcher Ra-
jarshi Banerji, West Bengal’s Chief Con-
servator of Forests Atanu Raha, Priya
Foods chairman S N Agarwal and many
fields who have left their footmarks in en-
vironment and wildlife conservation, are
part of the campaign.
“This is a great initiative taken by
CERL and forest department would
whole-heartedly support this cause,’’
Raha said.
Music director Shantanu Moitra also
confirmed that he would compose a song
for the campaign.
CERL officials said they will take this
campaign to ‘every nook and corner’ of
the country.
An e-mail basket - HYPER-
LINK “mailto:help@savesundarban.
com”help@savesundarban.com - has
also been created for all kinds of help for
the campaign.
9
Indian
Students join bookmakers in US$ 36.7 bn capital flows into India
World Cup betting: ASSOCHAM   New Delhi: The Economic Survey tabled
New Delhi: Sports betting and gambling is
in full swing over the ongoing cricket World
Cup as youngsters and sports enthusiasts in
the country are not letting go off a single
moment to make some easy money,  accord-
ing to a just concluded clandestine study
carried out by the Associated Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of India (ASSO-
CHAM).
In a survey carried out in seven major
cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandi-
garh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahemdabad
under the aegis of ASSOCHAM Social
Development Foundation (ASDF) it was
found that youngsters including school stu-
dents, college going youth are wagering
their monthly allowances on cricket match
betting amongst friends.
Releasing the findings of the
survey,   D.S. Rawat, Secretary General,
ASSOCHAM said, “School/college going
kids are seeing the world cup as a wind-
fall chance to make some quick money and
are bonding with their friends as they are
staking their monthly pocket expenses and
are even selling off personal belongings to
bet on their favorite teams, players and en-
counters between arch rival nations.”
Money at stake ranges anywhere between
Rs. 500-80,000 in case of students and sky
is the limit in case of local bookmakers.
In Tier I & Tier II cities they are literally
cashing in on the world cup mania that has
gripped the sub-continent, added  Rawat.
Kids in Delhi were the foremost in
staking huge money ranging from Rs.
15,000-80,000 followed by those in Mumbai
where money at stake ranges between Rs.
10,000-60,000.
Lads in Chandigarh are also not lagging
behind as they are staking money worth Rs.
Economic Survey calls for second Green Revolution
New Delhi: Recalling the pioneer
work by agriculture scientists and
farmers to achieve a breakthrough in
the agriculture sector in the 1960s,
the Economic Survey observes that
the country has not witnessed any
big technological breakthrough in
agriculture since then.
The food safety net for each and
every of the over a billion citizens re-
quires enhanced agriculture produc-
10 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
10,000-40,000. Kids in Ahemdabad stood
on the 4th spot as they are wagering Rs.
5,000-30,000 on cricket world cup whereas,
those in Kolkata followed them as they are
staking money worth Rs. 5,000-25,000 at
the most.
Cricket fanactics in Bangalore are
staking anywhere between Rs. 2,000-
20,000 and in Hyderabad are wagering Rs.
500-10,000 on world cup matches.
According to the ASSOCHAM survey,
an excitement of wager coupled with an op-
portunity to make money are certain key
elements as to why kids are getting hooked
to sports gambling. It is expected that kids
are going to make Rs. 2000-15000 per week
over the next few weeks.
Team India is the hot favorite amongst
young punters followed by Australia, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Pakistan, New
Zealand and so on.  balance –of-payments basis stood higher at
Sachin Tendulkar is the most favor-
ite player as youth is betting upon him to
emege as the player of the tournament.
Another intriguing aspect that has
emerged in the chamber survey is that
majority of students in were former high
school athletes who relished a ‘business op-
portunity’ to utilize their sports acumen in
determining the odds and making predic-
tions.  March 1991, the Reserves were US$ 279.1
Besides, more and more youngsters are
being introduced to sports gambling by
their peers and male friends who are thriv-
ing on its financial benefits and ability to
use sports knowledge.
Youngsters also opined that cricket
betting should be made legal as enforcing
of the laws and institutional policies per-
taining to the same will only increase the
betting traffic with illegal bookmaker.
tion and productivity in the form of a
Second Green Revolution.
The Survey points out that the coun-
try is likely to achieve a more produc-
tion of wheat (81.47 million tonnes),
pulses (16.51 million tonnes) and
cotton (33.93 million bales of 170 kg
each) this year in spite of drought in
some States, cyclones, unseasonal
and heavy rains and cold wave and
frost condition in several parts.
in the Lok Sabha here on Friday by Union
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, notes
that the net capital flows at US$ 36.7 billion
in April-September 2010 were higher vis-
a-vis US$ 23.0 billion in April-September
2009.
All components showed improvement
with the exception of Foreign direct invest-
ment (FDI)  and banking capital in the first
half of 2010-11.
Net FDI into India moderated to US$
5.3 billion as against US$ 12.3 billion in
April-September 2009. Portfolio investment,
mainly FII inflows, however, witnessed large
net inflows of US$ 23.8 billion (US$ 17.9
billion in April-September 2009).
Despite significant increase in capital
inflows, accretion to reserves during April-
September 2010 was lower, mainly due to
more than doubling of current account deficit
compared to last year.
The Survey further notes that during
April-September 2010, the trade deficit on
US$ 66.9 billion as compared with US$ 55.9
billion in the corresponding period last year.
This was mainly due to significant increase
in imports that was in line with robust do-
mestic economic performance.
In fiscal 2010-11, India’s foreign exchange
reserves have increased to US$ 299.2 billion
at the end of January 2011.Beginning from
a low level of US$ 5.8 billion at the end of
billion at the end of March, 2010.
India’s external debt has remained within
manageable limits, reflecting the impact of
the prudent external debt management policy
of the Government that emphasizes raising
sovereign loans on concessional terms with
longer maturities, regulating external com-
mercial borrowings through end-use and
all-in-cost restrictions, rationalizing interest
Still, special attention is required
for achieving higher production and
productivity levels in pulses, oil-
seeds, fruits and vegetables, which
had remained untouched in the First
Green Revolution but are essential
for nutritional security. It suggests
efforts to achieve high production of
poultry, meat and fisheries.
Stressing on the development of
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
India
rates on NRI deposits, and monitoring long-
as well as short-term debt.
At the end of September 2010, external
debt stood at US$ 295.8 billion, recording
an increase of 12.8 per cent over the level of
end-March 2010.
The rise was largely due to higher com-
mercial borrowings, short-term trade credits,
and multilateral government borrowings.
The share of commercial borrowings stood
highest at 27.8 per cent in the total external
debt followed by NRI deposits (16.9 per cent)
and multilateral debt (15.8 per cent).
The maturity profile of India’s external
debt indicates the dominance of long-term
borrowings with long-term debt accounting
for 77.7 per cent of the total external debt. 
As regards the World Economy, the
Survey observes that the buoyant economic
activity in emerging economies is gradu-
ally recovering from the crises. The risks,
however, remain, as advanced economies
face large fiscal deficit, high public debt and
unemployment levels, and tepid aggregate
demand, leading to subdued growth. Against
this backdrop, the Indian economy continues
to exhibit resilience, moving steadily back
towards its pre-crisis growth path.
The developments in the external sector
of the economy, however, indicate the wid-
ening of current account deficit due to robust
import demand resulting from strong domes-
tic economic activity and lower invisibles
surplus. The current account deficit, never-
theless, is being largely financed by the rela-
tively higher capital flows, leading to moder-
ate accretion in reserves.
There are, however, challenges that
include the volatile nature of FII that is char-
acterized by surge and reversal of capital
flows, deceleration in FDI and the risk of
further slowdown in advanced economies
that may affect exports and strain balance of
payments. 
infrastructure support in agriculture
and allied sector, the Survey says
that the relative weak supply re-
sponses to price hike in agriculture
commodities, specially food articles
in recent brings into the focus the
Central question of efficient supply
management and more investment
in agriculture and allied sectors with
the right strategies, policies and
intervention.
Indian
Entrepreneurship and Angel Investing need boost
SAURABH SRIVASTAVA  Globally, Angels bring in risk capital, valu-
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) form
the backbone of any economy, even the most
developed ones. Studies indicate that over
90% of the companies in the US have less than
50 employees and more than 50% of exports
from the US are done by companies with less
than 20 employees.
In India, Micro, Small and Medium En-
terprises (MSMEs) constitute one of the
most employment-intensive segments of the
economy, contributing significantly to the
manufacturing output and national exports.
It is estimated that this sector accounts for
about 45% of the manufacturing output and
40% of the total exports of the country. There
are several steps that the Government can
take to encourage entrepreneurship and the
growth of such ventures, especially by pro-
viding access to capital.
Globally, SMEs raise funds from “busi-
ness angels” and then by seed or early stage
venture funds before the general VC or PE
Funds come in. Angel funds and venture capi-
talists are critical for the growth of MSMEs
and the government needs to take some steps
to enable the growth of both.
Business Angels in India are a new phe-
nomenon and, therefore, need serious encour-
agement through the creation of an enabling
policy environment that would also result in
attracting more successful business people
into becoming ‘Angel Investors’.
Business Angels are successful CEOs or
entrepreneurs who have “been there, done
that” and the presence of such groups is criti-
cal to the entrepreneurial ecosystem because
in addition to the funds, they provide the
SMEs with mentoring, advice, guidance and
help in accessing markets and creating the
right organizational structure.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
able advice, mentoring and provide access
to their own powerful business networks.
This often makes the difference between the
success and failure of a SME.
  So, for a thriving MSME sector we need
to create a policy environment that would en-
courage the creation of more seed funds or
early stage funds. This can be done by:
l Getting higher equity participation
to facilitate better debt-equity mix;
l Encouraging MSMEs to go global
and increase their exports;
l Entering into foreign technical
collaborations for improving
competitiveness.
In the past few years, there have been some
attempts by the Government to promote flow
of angel or venture capital funds to the MSME
sector through Small Industries Development
Bank of India (SIDBI).
Once the funds are set-up or for the funds
already in existence, some broad policy issues
need to be addressed, for channelizing risk
capital to the MSME sector. Some of these
issues are:
Change in bank lending norms for innovative
start-up firms and introduction of new and in-
novative debt instruments that focus on the
company’s assets such as receivables and IP
(as against other pure physical ones or per-
sonal guarantees).
l Provide access debt funds even
without a 3-year operating history
of a company.
CM
MY
CY
CMY
PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
l Ensuring better cycle time for loan
processing.
l Allowing domestic angel or
venture capital funds in a Limited
Liability Partnership (LLP)
structure with a tax-pass through
status.
Availability of above structure to busi-
ness angel groups (say a business angel
group with at least 75 investor members).
Providing a tax write off for individuals,
“In India, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) constitute one of the most employ-
ment-intensive segments of the economy,
contributing significantly to the manufacturing
output and national exports.”
up to a limit (Rs. 5 crores per annum), in-
vesting in MSMEs, either through an early
stage fund (corpus up to Rs. 500 crore) or
through a business angel group or individu-
ally.
Providing the same tax write off for indi-
viduals / business angel groups investing in
SMEs spawned by the government’s incuba-
tor system or coming out of the Incubators
formed in the PPP model or IITs and other
R&D Institutions.
The government could have a pro-
gramme on the lines of the highly suc-
cessful Yozma scheme which was respon-
sible for triggering off early stage funding
Viewpoint
in Israel, by using some public funds to
create more early stage venture funds in
the public private model. Similarly, some
public funding could be used to help spawn
more business angel groups in the country
to complete the entrepreneurial ecosystem
for nurturing SMEs.
Setting up of a separate SME Exchange
or platform in an existing Stock Exchange
to provide exit route to an angel or venture
capital investor, along the lines of AIM,
UK.
Allowing listing of angel/venture capital
Funds on the existing Stock Exchanges.
This is critical as such funds invest in a seed
stage company which is unlikely to be able
to go public or be large enough to be ac-
quired in 3 to 5 years. However, the typical
portfolio of 15 or 20 investee companies of
such a fund would collectively have the re-
quired valuation net worth and listing the
fund would provide a return to the investors
thus encourage more such funds to come up.
Besides this there are non-financial
issues like liability of an individual Direc-
tor on the Boards of angel or venture capital
Fund, which need to be addressed.
11
Indian
Minimum wages rise for garment workers
Suva: The Minister for Labour, Industrial Re-
lations and Employment, Mr. Filipe Bole has
confirmed that the garment industry owners
have agreed to pay a 10% increase in minimum
wages for their garment workers.  their profits and productivity gains not only
He said that the garment owners have im-
proved their ‘ability to pay’ position from
the 7% announced early this month by Mr.
Kalpesh Solanki, to 10% as resolved by the
garment owners this week.
 Mr. Bole revealed that this progressive po-
sition by garment owners is an indication of
their corporate social responsibility to both the
workers and the nation as a whole towards our
collective efforts to alleviate poverty.  services with greater productivity and product
Whilst Government will continue to provide
an enabling policy environment and incentives
to boost investment, productivity and profit-
ability of companies, it also has the social re-
12 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
sponsibility to alleviate poverty amongst the
marginalized sectors of our society.  “We have a three year program in
In this regard, the Minister appeals to all
employers to be fair and just in distributing
to their shareholders, but especially to the
workers, who are the most important assets in
their organizations. 
Mr. Bole encourages employers to contin-
ue to shift their business culture from one of
‘cheap labour’ dependency towards incentiviz-
ing the development and participation of their
workers to enhance their creativity and inno-
vation to add more value to their goods and
differentiation.
The Minister also acknowledged the valu-
able contributions of Sir James Ah Koy in the
latest consultations with garment owners.
Be frank and honest,
farmers urged
Suva: Potato farmers have been
urged to be frank and honest while
discussing the way forward for the
fledgling potato industry.
Permanent secretary for agricul-
ture Lt Colonel Mason Smith has
challenged farmers to reduce the
import bill which currently stands
at  $17.8m.
“The recent figures that was given
to me by the Bureau of Statistics in-
dicated to me that we have slightly
reduced our import bill,” he said.
Lt Col Smith said there is no need
to waste $17m on a crop that can
be planted locally.
“That $17m can remain in Fiji
because it can be used for the
education of our children, it can be
used for health and for building our
homes,” he said.
“I see no reason why the $17m con-
tinues to be drained out of Fiji and
that is the challenge for us.”
The consultations is about learn-
ing the lessons from the 2010 trial
year and putting together a solid
strategy for the future.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Fiji
All the aspects of the industry is
being dissected from the planting
side, fertiliser use, marketing and
even the responsiveness of agricul-
tural technical officers in assisting
farmers.
Research specialists are also at
hand to provide advice on the best
planting methods and the best
seeds that can be used for a good
yield.
“What I require of you this year is to
be frank and to discuss the things
that affected you last year so that
we do not repeat the same mis-
takes next year,” he said.
front of us.
“19,000 metric tonnes of potato is
imported annually so I urge you to
keep those figures in front of us.
“The $17m is going to be a big
climb to achieve but not impos-
sible.”
The meeting will also help map the
way forward for the industry that
is linked to the overall objective of
reducing the potato import bill by
6.3 percent.
Indian
Marist legacy lives on
Suva: Stude nts enter ing
Maris t Broth ers High Scho ol
witne ssed a tradit ion, which
may not be seen anyw here
during a prefe cts induc tion
cerem ony.
The schoo l is renow ned for
produ cing athle tes, who be-
come hous ehold name s in the
regio n, but apart from all the
glitte r on the playing groun d
it is the strong broth erly bond
and discip line which sets the
Maris t spirit apart .
Every year during prefe cts
induc tion day, schoo l prefe cts
of the previ ous year hand
over a torch of respo nsibility
to the newly inves ted leade rs
for the year.
The torch is led by the forme r
head boy and is passe d on
to his succe ssor to guide and
remin d him of respo nsibilities
during his term.
It also is a sign to carry on the
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Fiji
good work done by stude nt
leade rs of the previ ous year.  
The schoo l, which was found -
ed by the Maris t Broth ers
equip stude nts on the playing
field as well as build good
character within stude nts,
which they take with them
within and outsi de the schoo l
corridors.
“I am a living testim ony,” Po-
lice Commission er Brigadier
Gene ral Ioane Naiva lurua .
said
“Wha t we learn here (in
schoo l) rema ins with us the
rest of our lives. Peop le see
our schoo l in us.”
He said all prefe cts of the
MBHS must work toget her
and lead by example to be a
beac on to other s.
“A leade r sees the way, goes
the way and show s the way,”
Mr Naiva lurua adde d.
PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance 13
and help the community. See page 9 for details
 Indian
Indian
From the Editor
Can Key and National rise to the occasion?
Every dark cloud has a silver lining, goes the old adage. But will New Zealand’s political
leadership rise to the occasion and be bold enough to put to use Kiwis’ legendary can do
attitude to dispel the dark clouds and bring back the sunshine in Cantabrians’ and New
Zealanders’ lives?
Last month’s earthquake was this country’s worst ever disaster. At the time of writing, the
death toll is still mounting and the cost of the disaster is looking ever more astronomical.
The blow is much too hard for a country of this small size at the corner of the world in the
midst of one of the worst financial downturns it has seen.
This is not the time for politics, but as it happens, it is always the elected politicians who
are in charge of affairs at times like these – and therefore much as one would like to keep
politics out of it, it’s simply not possible. But there is good politics and bad politics – the
former in the interests of the people and the latter in the narrow interests of self-seeking
politicians themselves.
Will New Zealand’s politicians show the equanimity, nerve, intelligence, practicality and
put the absolute weal of the people at the centre of the country’s interests? It is important
that they do.
The country put much faith in the John Key led National coalition government when it
assumed power at the last election. After three successive Labour governments’ leftist
largesse ridden economic policies, people’s expectations ran high on Mr Key’s much touted
financial nous and expected hard decisions on making long overdue course corrections on
the direction the nation’s economy was heading in.
Though the National Party did take some bold decisions, it left many of the more urgent
problems in the too hard basket, perhaps with the plan to tackle them with more vigour in
its second innings following this year’s election, which it is widely expected to win.
That left the impression in many minds that the National Party’s policies were little more
than Labour Lite and its seeming lack of courage to deal with some of the important eco-
nomic issues headlong betrayed the fact of its helplessness in the face of keeping its coali-
tion partners happy.
It did an about face on the mining issue, no thanks to the greenies’ strong opposition. It
also soft-pedaled on the completely impractical ETS, leaving New Zealand to draw a lonely
furrow with the rest of the world preferring to play a wait and watch game. That also left
New Zealanders holding the can for increased costs in almost every sector of the economy
including farming, though not immediately.
The National government would do well to revisit those decisions – especially exploit-
ing our abundant natural resources. We need to remember that it is important to strike
a balance between practicality and idealism. If Pike River were an open cast mine as it
should actually have been – which extreme green-minded New Zealanders would balk at –
we would not have lost the miners.
The government must also revisit the ETS decision while considering ways and means to
raise funds for the Christchurch recovery. While there is talk of a levy, cuts to benefits and
student loans and the sale of government assets, controversial and unproven schemes like
ETS are not on the table – at least not yet.
But what is rather alarming is the government-generated aftershock that is beginning to be
felt in Auckland. Though the government says it realizes Auckland is the country’s engine
room and is key to the recovery of not only Christchurch but the nation’s economy as a
whole, its announcements this week seem to undermine that.
Wellington has indicated possible cuts to or the complete shelving of long planned infra-
structure projects in Auckland. Already, constant dithering has delayed Auckland’s critical
infrastructure enhancement by decades. That indeed was the raison d’etre for the supercity.
And now we have the prospect of Wellington about to play political games with Auckland on
the back of the Christchurch tragedy.
While everything must be done to help Cantabrians move on from this heart rending
tragedy toward a life as normal as possible, the government must tread a practical and
rational path and keep the greatest good of the greatest number at heart. It simply cannot
afford to let its boffins play petty games of one up-manship while on the road to recovery.
– Dev Nadkarni
Indian Weekender Volume 2 No. 23
Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Group editor-in-chief: Dev Nadkarni dev@indianweekender.co.nz
Online editor: Arvind Kumar arvind@indianweekender.co.nz
India Correspondent: Shobha Rao shobha@indianweekender.co.nz
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Please email original editorial contributions, community notices and pictures to
editor@indianweekender.co.nz
Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication
Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, New Market
and printed at APN Print, Ellerslie, Auckland
Copyright 2010. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
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Letters
Chitra Katha made “Amar”
Uncle Pai has single handedly made the “Kathas” (stories) of India ‘amar” (immortal) using
“chitra”. Amar Chitra Katha has been a national icon in every Indian child’s world. Thanks for
the knowledge bestowed on us though your publication.
– Ram Lingam
This really saddens me. I have grown up on Amar Chitra Katha and at one time I boasted a col-
lection of more than 250 of the series. I still have them back in India. I would like to take this op-
portunity to pay my tribute to this legend. May his soul rest in peace. Nobody can better connect
with kids than Uncle Pai. Who could forget Tinkle, and the series of Dashavatar, Mahabharata,
Shivaji. He deserves a Bharat Ratna for the service to the nation as his coming shaped the young
minds.
– Prashant Belwalkar
Uncle Pai: Great loss
The name Uncle Pai reminds me of the unforgettable Suppandi Tinkle character! I am not book
lover, but I used love reading Tinkle during my childhood days, literally wait for Saturdays to
read that magazine after school. The first thing I used to do was open Tinkle and read Suppandi
story. True! Miss you Uncle Pai. What a great loss ....”
– Pranathi P
“Wow! I have grown up with Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle! I met Uncle Pai when he organised
a quiz at Panaji, Goa, and my brother and I cornered all the prizes (autographed copies of ACK)!
I had the full original collection of ACK, but when I was appointed as a Ranger and went to Dar-
jeeling for my two-year training, my mother gave away all my comics!!!”
– Amar Heblekar
“What an eloquent tribute-straight from the heart; really loved reading this. I too belong to a gen
brought up on Amar Chitra Katha and it still remains my ‘comfort food’ even today.
-Padmini Rao
Forced underaged teen marriages
Wonder why they have such ‘absurd’ views of us? Could it be that it is true, however few and far
between they be? Could it be that we have people amongst us who actually do this? Maybe we
should ask ourselves why they do this before we start attacking those who point a finger at us?
The overweaning ambition of many parents to marry off their girl child ultra-quickly is a blot on
our society, wherever we be. Accept that it happens and try to stop it wherever you can. Crying
foul is not the answer.
– Nalinesh Arun
Indians tend to be too self-righteous to the point of not accepting criticism for just about anything.
Child marriages are practised in this day and age among some Indian cultures and religions so it
is important to expose them.
-Mahesh S
Not a single specific case is mentioned; just generalisation denegrating the Muslims and Sikhs
in particular. Arranged marriage is different from “ forced underage marriages”. Please dont
confuse the issue. Both Nair and Field should either front-up or apologise especially to the
Muslim and the Sikh communities. As a marriage celebrant and a senior community member I
say with conviction that the whole article is based on fallacy and ignorance of the truth. I wonder
what is Nair’s gripe?
– Gul Zaman
Understanding caste
I suppose the article has some merit; however, it does not explain the current excessive discrimi-
nation, particularly in India, against the so-called “untouchables” by the ruling classes.I’m told
that the Pundits can only be from the selected “upper” caste. How true?
– Atish
To Atish
Thanks for your comments. That’s right this article does not explain the current deplorable prac-
tice. The article is about the ancient concept of ‘Varna’ system not the current practice. By the
way, the word Pundit is a title of respect for a ‘learned man’. It also means ‘prowess’, ‘erudition’,
‘expertise’ or ‘scholarliness’ referred to as ‘Paanditya.’
-Ram
Ten top stories on iwk.co.nz
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After ‘honour killing’ it is ‘forced teen marriage’
Why Shivaji Maharaj matters
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And now it’s forced, under age marriages!
Coping with killer stress
Hindus join quake relief efforts
Delivery of 2011 Census forms begins
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Uncle Pai: Amar Chitra Katha’s final chapter
dev nadkarni
For millions of Indians like me, our acquaintance
with India’s incredibly rich history, mythology,
folklore and culture would have been so much the
poorer without Amar Chitra Katha, the legend-
ary comic book series, whose visionary founding
editor Ananth ‘Uncle’ Pai passed away this week.
I had the good fortune of not just having been
raised with a growing library of Amar Chitra
Katha since I was five but also realising a child-
hood dream of actually working with Uncle Pai
on the celebrated comic book series and its sister
publication Tinkle for a few years – that, too, as
my very first job in my writing career!
Uncle Pai was a legend in his lifetime.
He was the google before Google. His knowl-
edge was colossal and his memory prodigious.
Be they chapters from the Bhagwad Gita or long
verses from the Guru Granth Sahib and be they
Kabir’s Dohas, lengthy shlokas from the Upa-
nishads or Tagore’s Bengali poems, he could
reel them off effortlessly to drive home a point –
whether at work or in the course of his wonder-
fully engaging extempore speeches.
We would walk into his office anytime and ask
him any question: a date in history, a place name,
the sequence of a dynasty – anything. And we
would have the answer in seconds.
He knew eight languages – he could read, write
and speak in each of them and had even authored
books and magazine articles in some of them.
He would often converse with me in our native
Konkani even in the office.
He was a scholar cast in the classic old mould
of pre-independence philosopher-statesmen like
Dr S Radhakrishnan. But unlike them, he was
able to explain the most abstruse of concepts to
young children in an amazingly interesting way.
That was his gift.
Though he didn’t have any of his own, children
were Uncle Pai’s be all and end all. His dedica-
tion to regaling them with books, stories, anec-
dotes, quiz contests, running nation wide clubs
and playing mentor, career guide and friend was
consummate.
Can New Zealand Hindus kick start a social revival?
Rakesh Krishnan Simha
Hindus in New Zealand are taking head-on the social and cultural challenges facing their community in the country.
Can they spark a renaissance from their adopted faraway land?
Last month, a large group of committed and passion-
ate community members assembled in Auckland’s
Mahatma Gandhi Centre to brainstorm social and
cultural challenges facing the Hindu community in
New Zealand.
At an interactive workshop organised by the
Hindu Organisations, Temples and Associations
(HOTA) Forum on February 20, 2011, the diverse
group of personalities from leading Hindu organisa-
tions, temples and associations that work to serve the
community sought ways to streamline co-operation.
The workshop was hosted by the New Zealand
Hindu Temple Society, and facilitated by Member of
Parliament Dr Rajen Prasad.
Dr Prasad said the purpose of such workshops
must be to seek common ground with mainstream
New Zealand society rather than to create commu-
nity islands. “We have chosen to live in this country
and we Hindus should continue to offer our values to
the great New Zealand melting pot, as we have done
in the past,” he said.
The workshop consisted of two main sessions.
In the first session, the participants broke into four
groups, and each was tasked with the following
issues.
Challenges before Hindu Dharma in New
Zealand.
Social issues concerning Hindu society in New
Zealand.
Promoting Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation in
New Zealand.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Children from Srinagar to Thiruananthapuram
and from Dwaraka to Gauhati adored him and on
a typical day in the Amar Chitra Katha offices, as
many as three hundred letters would be opened
and read by a dedicated staff tasked only with
reading and replying to children’s letters and filing
away contributions for future publication.
“Nothing encourages a child as much as rec-
ognition and nothing discourages as much as the
lack of it,” Uncle Pai would say insisting that every
letter was acknowledged – and he replied to many
of them personally,
with great fondness.
Remember, that was
before the age of
computers and email
– so it involved dic-
tating to stenos,
typing, mailing,
filing, keeping
written records …
I know of several
people who have
still saved the replies
they received from
Uncle Pai to show
their own kids.
His day would
begin at 4am and
he would be in the
office at the crack
of dawn. As well
as attending to the
voluminous corre-
spondence, he had to pore through script ideas for
future Amar Chitra Katha titles, edit scripts, guide
illustrators, supervise production and oversee dis-
tribution besides looking after the publishing com-
pany’s other children’s publications like Tinkle.
Publishing for children was the brilliant chem-
ical engineer’s passion from the very start. Having
failed to run a children’s magazine in the 1950s,
he joined the publishers of the Times of Indian in
the 1960s and was asked to come up with ideas to
Engaging Hindu youth in New Zealand.
One subject on which virtually all participants
agreed on was that Hindu organisations and temples
should become more closely involved with the com-
munity in social and family issues. Would institu-
tionalised community support have prevented the
Ranjeeta Sharma case, for instance? Who knows?
“We have chosen to live in this country and we Hindus
should continue to offer our values to the great New
Zealand melting pot, as we have done in the past,”
But if Hindu organisations are able to provide cul-
turally appropriate advice to families, there’s a very
good chance to amicably resolve problems in Hindu
families, as compared to the intrusive and discor-
dant approach that culturally insensitive organisa-
tions may take.
There was broad consensus on the Hindu prin-
ciple of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is
one family) and in particular that temples should
promote Hindu values, as there is no disconnect
between modernity and Hindu Dharma. This would
especially benefit the youth. In fact, a bunch of youth
initiatives were discussed, such as involving Hindu
youth in Yoga and meditation. Such activities have
already been happening in AROGYA (a division
of the Hindu Council of New Zealand) led Yoga
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fill the idle capacity of the newly imported colour
printing plant that was used to churn out the pres-
tigious Illustrated weekly, Femina and Filmfare.
Uncle Pai saw this as a great opportunity to
indulge in his passion: of starting with Indian il-
lustrated classics for children but the publishers
didn’t share his excitement. He struck a deal with
New York based King Features and converted
Phantom and Mandrake comic strips into 32 page
books published monthly and then fortnightly.
In comics with shorter stories that finished in
28 pages, he insert-
ed what could well
be India’s first-ever
regular comic book
feature – Around the
world with Kunju
Pillay, which cata-
logued the epony-
mous character’s
bicycle journeys
around the world.
Having success-
fully launched the
comic series, which
was published under
the banner “Indrajal
Comics,” Uncle Pai
began to scout for
publishers to back his
Indian illustrated clas-
sics project. That’s
when he met with
G.L. Mirchandani, the
founder of India Book House who said he would
back the project as long as Uncle Pai would not
charge for his own labours until it went into print
and recovered the expenses.
Uncle Pai took up the challenge and scoured
hard to find a good illustrator. He found Ram
Waeerkar to illustrate the first script, “Krishna.”
Waeerkar remained with the project for several
decades his death a few years ago – and “Krishna”
remains the most reprinted title in the series having
classes.
Introducing Yoga in school curriculum and
hospitals was another proposal. Similar provisions
exist for sports and tai chi, which primarily aim for
physical fitness. Yoga, as practiced in the Hindu tra-
dition, aims towards a healthy body, mind and spirit/
soul. Also, with an increasing number of American
church groups trying to hijack yoga by conjuring up
weird names like Christian yoga, it is imperative that
such cultural theft not be allowed on New Zealand
soil. On the other hand we have the example of Ma-
laysia, where Yoga practice is considered officially
un-Islamic.
Hindu organisations could also make a key
impact in handling immigrant settlement issues.
They could soften the cultural impact of immigra-
tion and ease integration into New Zealand.
Finally, there’s the question of image. A slew of
articles and programmes in the New Zealand media
seem to have conspired to paint a very unflatter-
ing picture of Hindus in collaboration with certain
“Indian” leaders, ignoring the tremendous progress
India has made in the past couple of decades. It
Comment
sold several million copies in nearly 50 languages
around the world.
The first half a dozen titles took long and made
it to the newsstands quite irregularly. It took a few
years and a team – comprising Kamala Chan-
drakant and Subba Rao besides about a dozen il-
lustrators and a production set up – before Amar
Chitra Katha began to roll as a successful enter-
prise.
Uncle Pai won many accolades in his long
career with Amar Chitra Katha. While leading
that great enterprise, he also rang a syndicated
feature service, Rang Rekha Features, which he
later sold and a personality development system
based on Indian values called Partha.
I know of several Partha graduates around the
world who have greatly succeeded in their profes-
sional and personal lives and who look back at
Uncle Pai and the “Partha Institute” with fondness
and gratitude.
After the Mirchandanis sold Amar Chitra
Katha to a private equity enterprise, the new set up
stopped publishing new titles instead leveraging
the creative and intellectual capital that had been
created over the decades by launching a series of
products based on the series. Both Amar Chitra
Katha and Tinkle though are still published and
are highly successful as a series of repackaged
products from their earlier avataars.
Though the new set up continued to employ
Uncle Pai and looked after him well, he had little
to do in the last years of his life. For a man who put
in 18 tireless hours a day to create products like
Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle for much of his life,
such a void was hard to handle, according to those
close to him.
The 81-year-old had a fall about ten days ago,
which necessitated surgery to his hip. He passed
away after a massive heart attack while recovering
quite well from the fall. He is survived by his dear
wife Lalitha, several nephews and nieces – and of
course by millions upon millions of Indians who
will remember Uncle Pai’s immense contribution
to their early lives.
was suggested that organisations such as the Hindu
Media Watch should take steps to counter misrep-
resentation by certain elements of the New Zealand
media.
The list of participants and the organisations
they represent is worth mentioning here because
it shows community leaders are indeed passion-
ate about jointly working to improve cooperation
between diverse groups.
The list includes, but is not limited to, the Inter-
national Society for Krishna Consciousness, New
Zealand Thirumurugan Temple, Sri Krishna Chait-
anya Temple, Soni Samaj, Gaudiya Math, Manukau
Indian Association, Auckland Indian Association,
Waitakere Indian Association, Hindi Elders Foun-
dation, Hindu Youth New Zealand, Swami Narayan
Temple (ISSO) Papatoetoe, Sri Chinmaya Mission,
Auckland Ramayan Sanstha Trust, Yogi Devine
Society and Muth Tamil Sangam.
As India grows into its role as a global super-
power it will face immense challenges, especially in
the social and cultural spheres. Coming from a more
liberal society, New Zealand Hindus are well placed
to offer solutions that will help guide their ancient
republic to its rightful destiny.
 
(About the author: Rakesh Krishnan Simha is
a features writer at New Zealand’s leading media
house. He has previously worked with Business-
world, India Today and Hindustan Times, and was
news editor with the Financial Express.)
15
Indian

Open Home

RAY WHITE FULL PAGE

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and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
Hindu Council joins quake relief efforts
The members and volunteers of the Hindu commu-
nity have join the nation in offering prayers to give
strength to the families and friends of earthquake
victims.
Hindu Council of New Zealand Media and Public
Relations Officer Dr Rajiv Chaturvedi said special-
ised search and rescue teams were doing an admi-
rable job under difficult circumstances.
“On the other hand, the trauma of the survivors
with aftershocks continuing to rock Christchurch, es-
pecially those who have to desert their homes, needs
an urgent healing touch.
“These natural calamities affect everyone equally.
It may be critical for ethnic and linguistic communi-
ties who may be disadvantaged in communicating
their specific needs to the relief agencies and may
need culturally appropriate support.
“In this hour of national emergency, a number
of Hindu organisations, temples and associations
have come forward to provide relief to earthquake
victims,” Dr Magesan said.
The Hindu Organisations, Temples and Associa-
tions (HOTA) Forum, in coordination with Sewa In-
ternational, have launched an appeal to contribute to
the ongoing aid and relief work in Christchurch, and
Asia Downunder gets new time slot
Asia Downunder is all about Asians in New Zealand,
young and old, featuring topics as diverse as art, busi-
ness, sport, music, fashion, culture, lifestyle, food and
many more. The show also tackles topical and contro-
versial stories such as refugees, racism, immigration,
and health.
The programme can be viewed from Sunday,
February 27 at a new time of 11 am on TvOne.
“This year we continue our coverage of issues
relating to Kiwi-Asians, with some half-hour docu-
mentaries and single-themed programs that provide
an even deeper look into Kiwi-Asian concerns.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
to residents who have been displaced to various New
Zealand cities. To assist with Sewa International relief
work, contact nz_hota@yahoo.com or Kishor Mistry
on 09 537 2766. You can make monetary donations
to Sewa International through the ASB account
number: 12-3055-0216216-00.
* Hindu Niwas, a respite service based in Mangere,
Auckland, has opened its 63-bed facility for affected
families moving out of Christchurch. Hindu Niwas
provides vegetarian meals to residents and will be
able to arrange culturally / linguistically appropri-
ate support for victims of the earthquake during
their stay. For accommodation details contact: Jairaj
Chavan, Manager, Hindu Niwas (Respite Care Ser-
vices): 09 275 1003.
* Sri Krishna Chaitanya temple of Auckland, with
support of Indian Association in Christchurch will
serve free, freshly cooked vegetarian meals to the
earthquake victims in Christchurch. The team aims
to provide around 250 – 500 meals every day for 5
days starting Monday 28th February. Those who
wish to donate goods including non-perishable food
items and are able to provide transport and manpower
for collection, please URGENTLY contact Yogesh
Punja on 021 786 520.
“Watch out too for stories we bring home when
we travel to Asian destinations– places to see, things
to do, and, to turn the tables – Kiwis in Asia, says re-
porter Bharat Jamnadas.
The first episode of the year features reporter Kad-
ambari Gladding’s journey through Nepal, a country
of mountains and myths. She learns about Trade Aid,
gets to stay in a monastery, joins Nepal’s first all girl
kayaking school, and meets NZ aid workers as they
build a hilltop village.  cultures there’s probably no other New Zealand pro-
Producer Chris Wright says ‘The Asian popula-
tion has been New Zealand’s fastest growing ethnic
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and help the community. See page 9 for details
Community
* ISKCON Wellington, in co-ordination with devo-
tees in Christchurch, is also distributing food in
Christchurch. Jagjeevan Das Prabhu (027 256 7111)
can be contacted for more details on this project.
* Hindu Council of New Zealand, Wellington Mu-
tamizh Sangam, and Hindu Youth New Zealand
volunteers in Wellington, in co-ordination with
New Zealand Police and Pipitea Marae are working
to provide support to victims of earthquake seeking
refuge in Wellington. Support for linguistic and
ethnic groups, including Hindus, Asians, and others
is needed. Contacts: Ram Bharadwaj (021 241 7825),
Selva Ramasami (021 178 8318), or Rajiv Chaturvedi
(021 079 5036).
New Zealand Hindu Temple Society has or-
ganised a universal, joint online prayer. This can be
joined online from any location on Friday 5th and Sat-
urday 6th March, at exactly 7am. Link to the prayer
is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsGJlyFcdQM
“We thank all volunteers who are already in-
volved and look forward to hear from those willing
to contribute in whatever way they can,” Dr Magesan
said.
“Residents of Christchurch are in our thoughts
and prayers.”
group for many years. It’s important that their inter-
ests are reflected in a TV show that is able to reflect
everything concerned with life in New Zealand,
culture, lifestyle, sport and art. The team are looking
forward to 40 episodes where they’re going to do just
that”
Mr Jamnadas says, “Our definition of Asia
extends from Iran in the west to Japan in the east
and Indonesia in the south. With such a multitude of
gramme that can draw on such variety of subjects and
people for the stories that are made.”
17
Indian
Community

Community News Shivratri celebrations in Auckland, Wellington

The Shivaratri Festival in 2011 is being celebrated by the Brahma Kumaris organisation in Auckland and Wellington by a free

in Pics
programme open to the public called “Trimurti Shiv Darshan”. The events will be held on Sunday 6 March, 9am – 8pm at
the Auckland Indian Association, Dining Hall, 145 New North Road, Eden Terrace, Auckland. In Wellington, it will be held
on Sunday 13 March 9am – 8pm at the Indian Community Hall, Cnr of Udy and Nelson Streets, Petone. For further informa-
tion please contact Ph. 04 567 0699 or email HYPERLINK “mailto:wellington@nz.bkwsu.org” wellington@nz.bkwsu.org

Sri Guru Ravidass birth-

day celebrations
The 634th birthday celebrations of Shri
Guru Ravidass were held recently at the
Bombay Hills Shri Guru Ravidass temple.
Hundreds of devotees joined in the celebra-
tions, with several government ministers
and Members of Parliament attending. A
new DVD was also launched during the
celebrations. Pictures show Police Minis-
ter Judith Collins viewing the DVD and a
section of the audience.

Bollywood Celebrities at Chaska, Epsom

Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachan, Sonam Kapoor and Omi Vaidya dined at favourite curry haunt
Chaska Punjab Da at Epsom on February 17. The A-list actors and the popular Chatur from 3 Idiots, Omi
Vaidya, were here in New Zealand for a visit to shoot for the movie Players. While Aishwarya chose to ac-
company her hubby on her first visit to New Zealand. After completing their shooting in Wellington, they
made their way to Auckland for the movie that is a remake of the Italian Job. After wrapping up the shooting
at Auckland director Abbas Mastan threw a party for his crew at Chaska Punjab Da. The restaurant, recently
taken over by Kuldeep and Shivani Arora, reverberated with Bollywood numbers as the actors and crew
danced away the night.

Mt Roskill Business group launched

Members of the Mt Roskill area’s multi-ethnic community have come together to launch the Mt Roskill
Business & Community Groups Association Inc. as an Incorporated Society on December 9 last year.
The group had its first meeting in early February and was attended by a wide cross section of community
members ranging from social workers, politicians to businesspeople of several ethnic groups. The group’s
president is Richard Prakash (phone 09-620 7940) and secretary is Dr Lingappa Kalburgi (09-815 3448).

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and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
‘Tee’
proves a
class act
On Saturday 26th March, Mt Albert War Memorial
Hall was filled with a Marathi audience of all ages.
They were eagerly looking forward to the perfor-
mance of Marathi stage’s popular actress Vandana
Gupte. Accompanying her was her younger sister
Rani Varma. The sisters were presenting an innova-
tive, multimedia performance called “TEE” literally
meaning – ‘She’.
The show depicted the journey of a girl child
“Durga” from her birth through the various phases of
a typical Indian woman’s life to her graceful ageing
as a grandmother in a two hour format. The format
was unique as it was not only interactive, but also had
audio visual mixing, some wonderful narrative by
Vandana Gupte and live singing by Rani Varma.
It started of from the day “Durga” was born and
slowly moved towards her adulthood. The intermedi-
ate period Durga’s coming of age was wonderfully
depicted through songs sung by Rani Varma.
The song selections were apt and almost all the
people in the audience hummed along and foot tapped
with the hit numbers, having grown up listening to
them.
Vandana Gupte’s hilarious take on the young
school girl learning to come to terms with narrating
an essay in an elocution speech had the audience in
splits.
The audiences were again treated to some won-
derful lavani by Nupur Raut depicting the approach
of teen years and then Hemant Shirsat was crooning
as a first time lover.
Vandana Gupte’s narrative through the phases of
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
marriage and subsequent family years brought a tear
to the seniors’ eyes. There was not a person in the au-
dience who was not moved by Rani’s singing when
she sang the”bidaai” song of the newly wed bride.
The powerful message of the ageing Durga was
wonderful. The role of a woman is very important
in Indian heritage as she is the link between the two
generations, two different families and is a pillar of
strength in tough times. Whilst the world may not see
it as such, it is “She” who carries forward the tradi-
tions and values of generations together.
The success of the shows lies in it being a com-
plete package, strong narration and the ability of it to
connect to each and every member of the audience.
The script is very tight, the narrative moving and the
songs, evergreen. No wonder, that the play has been
well received in all overseas locations where it has
travelled be it Japan, US or Europe.
Migrant Heritage Charitable Trust Inc (MigHT-i)
was proud to bring the show to New Zealand for the
PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
first time. It was also the first visit of Vandana Gupte
and Rani Varma to these shores. They instantly con-
nected with the audiences, not only in Auckland but in
Wellington as well.
The production is performed under their banner
“Sister Concern” and has received rave reviews ev-
erywhere. The concept was originally thought out by
Vandana Gupte literally on the back of a paper and
later developed by the sisters. It is no wonder that it has
been so successful, as it carries a powerful message
which is relevant today. Especially the women love
the play as each of them sees a part of themselves
being presented in front of them.
Indian Weekender along with SLA Limited and D
& R Digital was instrumental in supporting MigHT-I
with this venture. The show now moves on to Aus-
tralia where it will be hosted in Melbourne, Adelaide,
Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. A real treat for Marathi
audiences downunder.
-Indian Weekender Arts Correspondent
Community
Gandhi Centre
launches unique
fitness centre
More and more South Asians (Including
Indians, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis,
Nepalis and Indians who originate from outside
that region) are diagnosed with diseases like
diabetes, blood pressure, cardiovascular (heart)
and obesity.
To reduce the risk they need to regularly
exercise. There is nothing like exercising with
the rhythms of one’s favourite music. It is a fun
way to take responsibility of your own health
and make the time to exercise.
A new innovative exercise regimen called
Bollyrobix (exercise to Bollywood music) is
being held every Saturday, 7.30am to 8.30am,
with a qualified instructor at Mahatma Gandhi
Centre, 145 New North Road, Eden Terrace.
“You don’t have to be fit or young. It suits
people of all ages (men and women). You can
exercise according to your own ability and
fitness,” says a spokesperson from the centre.
Qualified and registered exercise instructor
Ella Kumar conducts the sessions. She is also
able to give nutritional information as well.
The Bollyrobix regimen is free for members
of the Auckland Indian Association and only
$2.00 for non-members.
Register now and join Mahatma Gandhi
Centre fitness group.
For more information please contact Ella
Kumar or Dhiru Patel 
Ella Kumar
Health and Fitness Professional
Ph: (H) 09 629 0660
Mobile: 021 0477642
Email: ellakumar@xtra.co.nz0
Dhiru M Patel
AIAI Public Relations Officer
Ph: (H) 09 6266 134
Mobile: 0274 99 1947
Email: dhirubp@hotmail.com
19
Indian
Bollywood

‘I was put into sex symbol slot’

Zeenat Aman broke the typical coy image of Hindi film heroine and sported a westernized look. Known as the first
sex symbol of Bollywood, her sheer screen presence used to churn money at the Box Office for her producers.
The actor in conversation with correspondent Sreya Basu
After staying away from films for years,
you made a comeback with Dunno Y…Na
Jaane Kyun in 2010. How was the experi-
ence facing the camera again?
I had gone away for about 20 years and I came
back to films when people retire. I had to get a
great makeup man, a great lighting director, a
great cinematographer…and had to go on a diet to
look beautiful and gorgeous. (Laughs) That was
tough. As of now, I have a couple of scripts and
am going through them.
Tell us about your childhood days.
I am essentially a Bombay girl…I was born at a
nursing home that was stone’s throw away from
the Taj Mahal Hotel. My father was a script writer
from Bhopal. He wrote for films like Mughal-e-
Azaam and Pakeezah. He died when I was a child
(13 years). He was very loving. He used to write
beautiful letters to my mother and me. I didn’t
have great proximity with him because I was
away at my boarding school. But I remember him
expressing a lot of affection for me.
How was your mother like?
My mother was pretty incredible. I would like
to think she was one of her kind. She was very
emancipated and did a lot of things ahead of her
times.
You got a scholarship to go to America for
higher education…
Yes. I went to Southern California where I learnt
to become a hippie, so that I could participate in
Hare Rama Hare Krishna. (Laughs) Kidding! I
was a boring student in America.
What made you participate in Miss India
pageant on your return to India?
I was doing a lot of modeling and commercials, in-
cluding Taj Tea ad, at that time. We were walking
the ramp, when my friends said you are in the
wrong part, you should be in Miss India contest.
Subsequently, I joined and went to represent India
in the Asia Pacific contest (in 1970).
There a story that the first time you
entered a film studio full of grime and
saw dust, you said the glam quotient is
missing. True?
Absolutely. I went in and said ‘Where’s the
glamour?’ And they (producer, director) said
‘Well honey, you are supposed to be it.’ (Laughs)
What made you sign Hare Rama Hare
Krishna when many actresses turned it
down since it was a slightly negative role
with the character smoking?
I knew it was a pivotal role and was happy to do it.
After Hare Rama Hare Krishna, everyone
referred to you as the next big thing. How
did that feel?
Wonderful I guess. But honestly speaking, I have
never been the person who believed in one’s own
publicity-good or bad. In fact, when I started, I
had no idea what stardom meant. I just wanted
to do this film and leave India. But then, the film
became successful and Devsaab (Anand) said
‘Don’t go. You might have a career here’. I waited
and did Heera Panna, Yaadon Ki Baraat –which
was a big hit, and Dhund with Mr BR Chopra…
and so on and so forth; my films did well and one
thing led to another and before I knew it, I was a
big star.
Did you consciously break the rules of a
Hindi film heroine?
Not at all.
You were tagged as the sex symbol of Bol-
lywood…
Once I was put into a sex symbol slot, all film-
makers were shooting songs or offering me char-
acters around that image. I am really sorry to
say that I don’t think I really got an opportunity
to completely break away from that, not even in
Insaaf Ka Tarazu. I never got the chance to show
myself as a cerebral actress.
What do you think of today’s actresses?
We have fabulous actresses today. They are doing
an amazing job. They are all gorgeous as well as
talented. You know, in our films you have to be
multi-faceted…you have to be able to dance, act,
do stunts…and our girls are doing all of that.
Being a style icon, what’s your mantra to
look gorgeous?
Be comfortable in what you wear. If you are
comfortable with what you are wearing, you will
always feel confident and when you are confident,
you project the real person that exists within you.

20 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
Anup Jalota to enthrall global devotees
Rahat, manager fined Rs 15 lakh each
New Delhi: Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
and his manager Maroof have been fine Rs 15 lakh
each for carrying  over $ 1 lakh without declaration
while boarding a flight from Delhi to Dubai on Feb 13.
They were booked under the Foreign Exchange
Management Act (FEMA) and Customs Act.
Unless they pay the penalty immediately they will
not be allowed to leave India, reports said.  Rahat and his entire troupe of 16 members were
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on
Saturday grilled  Rahat Fateh Ali Khan over recov-
ery of unaccounted foreign currency from him at the
Indira Gandhi International Airport here and slapped
Customs Act violation charges on him.
This was the third time the singer faced DRI inter-
rogation since his detention on Feb 13.
Completing the probe on Khan’s case, the DRI had
reportedly sent the issue for adjudication by Commis-
sioner Customs (Airports).
On Thursday and Friday, Khan was grilled by in-
Ranbir Kapoor shoots in Kashmir
Srinagar: The scenic beauty of Kashmir
Valley has once again attracted the atten-
tion of Bollywood stars.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor is busy in shooting
for his fim at Pahalgam.
Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, the film’s
actress Nargis and director Imtiyaz Ali
were also spotted at the tourist destination
Pahalgam.
While talking to IBNS, Production Control-
ler Mahesh said that Valley is known for
its beauty and it is very cheap to shoot
Salman Khan has no time for Dus Ka Dum
Mumbai: Celebrity reality show Bigg Boss 4 has
been wrapped up long back and speculation about
whether actor Salman Khan, who has agreed to
host another season of the reality show, will be
back on 10 Ka Dum Season 3 (DKD) are rife.
Last year, Sony Entertainment had approached
Sanjay Dutt to host the game show when Khan
was busy with the other show.
Earlier, after Khan had taken up Bigg Boss 4,
the channel had a closed door meeting with him
and he had said that if approached, he’d like to
return to DKD, after Bigg Boss 4 wrapped up.
But Khan is now juggling with his many films
and the channel has reportedly initiated talks with
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Bollywood
Mumbai: Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalota will
enthrall spiritual devotees from Austra-
lia, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong,
United Kingdom and the United States of
America, at the grand Mata Bhagwati’s
‘Jaagran’ ceremony at BEC ground, Gore-
gaon, Mumbai, on March 3.
Organized by the disciples of Shri Radhe
Maa, a saint who graces the occasion ev-
ery year, the ceremony attracts thousands
of Indian as well as International devotees,
who celebrate it with tremendous excite-
ment and fervor. Followers take the oppor-
tunity to have Shri Radhe Maa’s darshan
and also praise Shri Sherawali Mata.
This year, Anup Jalota will be joined by
Master Saleem and party from Punjab and
other devotional singers from across the
country for this lavish event.
The ceremony will feature some magnifi-
cent scriptures and statues of Lord Shiva,
Lord Ram, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman
and Maa Sherawali along with recitation of
stories of another goddess Tara Rani.
telligence officials for over 10 hours respectively.
Khan was released on Monday (Feb 14), 28 hours
after being detained and questioned by revenue intel-
ligence officials.
He was released after the Pakistani government
stepped in and asked that the singer be let out of the
“protective custody” immediately, media reports said. 
detained at the IGI airport  after nearly USD 1.24 lakh
was recovered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelli-
gence (DRI) from the singer and two of his associates.
“The DRI officers found altogether 1,24,000 USD
which is equivalent to about Rs 60 lakhs. 24,000 USD
were found from the baggage carried by Rahat while
the remaining 50,000 USD each were found from
the baggage of two troupe members,” officials at the
airport said.
The recovered foreign currency included USD
10,000 and USD 8,600 in demand drafts.
here as the film unit doesn’t require any
artificial set.
He said due to unconducive atmosphere,
Bollywood stars are reluctant to come
over here, but the situation has changed
a lot.
Large number of people arrived at Pahal-
gam to have a glimpse of the stars present
there.
Pertinently, Ranbir’s father Rishi Kapoor
had shot his first film as a hero- ‘Bobby’- in
Kashmir as well.
other actors, including Govinda.
The humorous actor has appeared on their
dance show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4, twice already.
In the ’90s, he had also anchored the show ‘Jeeto
Chappar Phaad Ke’.
Apparently, it was Khan who suggested his
Partner as his replacement, should he be unable to
return.
The episode featuring Govinda has high recall
value.
“10 Ka Dum 3 will be back in 2011 and we are
in talks with a couple of big Bollywood names,”
said Ajit Thakur, executive vice president and
business head, Sony Entertainment.
PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance 21
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian

22 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
Pallavi Joshi hosts
Antakshari again!
Mumbai: But wait!! Before you jump out of your
seats in glee, let us inform you that it is not what
you think…
Zee TV is back with Antakshri but this time
in the wedding of the lead character in popular
soap Sanskaar Laxmi.
Our very own Pallavi Joshi will grace the
screens this time with the popular Marathi
singer Avdoot Guptay on Zee TV’s Sanskaar
Laxmi as wedding festivities go into full swing.
The actress was clearly enjoying herself
during the shoot and was all bright eyed and
chirpy till the wee hours of the morning!
Also shaking a leg at the Antakshari will be
TV’s heartthrobs - Ankita Lokhande, Sushant
Rajput, Nandish Sandhu & Rashmi Desai.
The four stars will sing, dance and join in
the family frolic with popular tracks like Range
De, Aiwaien aiwaien, Laung da Lishkara and
others!
Said Sukesh Motwani, Fiction Head, Zee
TV, “Laxmi’s wedding will be like no other on
Indian television as it will showcase  the ethnic-
ity and vibrancy of Gujarati weddings. It’s an
opportunity for us  to  acquaint our audiences
with these small rituals and traditions which
form such an integral part of any wedding.
“The rich Gujarati culture and heritage
Mithun gets ear for ghazals
Mumbai: With intricate props that are often used on Zee
TV’s dance reality show DID Doubles, it takes quite a
bit of time to set them up before an act can begin.
This often results in actor and Grand Master of the
show Mithun Chakraborty and the masters waiting on
listlessly, getting bored.
To ensure that Dada doesn’t get too grumpy and
blow a fuse, the production team behind the show has
devised a novel way of keeping him in good spirits.
Apparently, they’ve discovered that Mithun Da is
a big fan of Ghulam Ali and is transported to another
world altogether when he listens to his Ghazals.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Lara-Mahesh get married in Goa
Panaji: The much talked about wedding
of the tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati and
Bollywood actress Lara Dutta solemnized
on Saturday evening at the sunset venue
of a heritage five-star resort near Cando-
lim beach.
Former Miss Universe Lara, 32, wore a
white Ellie Saab gown with jewelry in
white gold and diamonds while Mahesh,
36 was dressed in black suit for the Chris-
tian style wedding.   after which they flew down to Goa.
Among the invited guests were B-town
celebrities Ritesh Deshmukh, Sajid Khan,
Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Cel-
lina Jaitley, designers including Wendell
Rodricks, Sheetal Malhar and from the
sporting field Rohan Bopanna and Le-
ander Paes along with his wife Ria Pillai
blessed the newly wedded couple.
“The couple made sure that the wedding
place located within the premise of Taj
Aguada resort on the 16th century fort is
beautifully decorated,” sources close to
rooted to their traditional ethics adorn the mat-
rimonial celebrations with typical Gujarati
fancies, elaborating the vivacity and exhilara-
tion prevalent in their community.”
‘Mysterious’ character enters Zee soap
Mumbai: If the ongoing promos are any-
The producer of Sanskaar Laxmi, Rajesh
thing to go by, Padm a Cha chi’s char
Joshi said, “It’s a huge challenge for us to put
ter in Zee TV’s popu lar soap ‘San
together such an extravagant wedding on televi-
Se Ban i Sang ini’ is not only one of
sion. Gujarati wedding celebrations and rituals
pense but also full of intrigue.
are replete with gaiety and frolic and I’m sure
And strangely   no one is  will ing to
pan Indian viewers will surely enjoy it to the hilt.
reve al the identity of the new char acte
“The unique blend of traditions and detail-
on the show. The char acte r is old,
ing is something which make Laxmi’s wedding
her face half cove red, spor ts a huge
a sheer delight. Coming from a humble back-
bind i , does face read ing and is alwa
ground, will Laxmi fight all odds to win the
seen sche ming and plott ing agai
hearts of the Purohits?
Rud ra and Gau ri.
“Will Laxmi be able to mould herself with
Not much is know n about her char
the new way of life and adjust to a large family
acte r exce pt the fact that she will play
where each member has a different personality?
crucial role in the story and ushe r in   d
Laxmi’s journey from Dharigam to Purohit’s
much talke d about twist in the tale!
family in the cosmopolitan city, Mumbai, will The
spec ulation is rife that the char acte
be the highpoint of the show.”
could be eithe r Pihu ( Add iti Gup
The wedding celebrations, which are expect- ta),
Naa ni (Kun ica Lal) or Ratnesh (Sandeep
ed to go on for four days, will be a grand celebra-
Baswan).
tion of everything that is Guajarati.
Says prod ucer Deeya Sing h (of DJ’s
Right from the smaller rituals like the Tippani
Creative Unit), “The se are the 3 char
dance, to the Athango dance, producer Rajesh
Joshi is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that
this is the most talked about shaadi of the year!
So each time there’s any kind of delay as a result of
production, the team begins to belt out famous Ghazals
of this legendary singer on the loudspeaker.
It is a sight to behold when Dada smiles ear to ear
listening to classics like Chhupke Chhupke Raat Din,
Hungama and Aawargi.
Mithun Da is reported to have even sparked off a
fantastic jugal bandi with choreographer Geeta Kapoor
on the sets while waiting for props to be set up and tele-
prompters for the anchors to be set right!
Now that’s a really musical way to kill time, what
say Dada?
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and help the community. See page 9 for details
Bollywood
the couple said.
After the wedding ceremony, the couple
in their message said, “We had a memo-
rable time at the wedding. Looking for-
ward to the rest of out lives together… We
thank our families and all our friends for
making this weekend so special for us.”
The couple had legally registered their
marriage in a Mumbai Court on Feb 17
 
There was no confirmation whether Bol-
lywood king Shah Rukh Khan could make
it for the star-studded wedding. His wife
Gauri Khan was reportedly present for the
wedding.
Just like the sangeet ceremony on Friday
night, the wedding was also strictly invite-
based. Goa’s best cuisine was served
to the guests for the two-day ceremony
here.
The couple flew off for honeymoon to an
undisclosed destination.
acte rs who are swor n enem ies of Rud
ra
ac- and Gau ri. They defi nitely want som
e-
jog thing evil to h appe n that will wrec
k
sus- havo c in their blissful life.  
“Pihu wants Rud ra back in her
life  while  Naa ni does not want to
see
r Gau ri happy and settled. Ratnesh wan
ts
has to settle old scor es with his brot her Rud
ra.
red The plot will only thicken by the day
and
ys viewers will see Rud ra and Gau ri’s rela-
nst tionship get st rained fu rthe r with G
auri
getti ng close to Ram (Vik as Bhal la).”
- “We are hopeful that our loya
l
a viewers will be total ly capt ivate
the by the new plot that we have deve
l-
oped!  Pad ma Cha chi as a char acte r
has
r alrea dy gained a lot of popu larit y
and
has created a lot of buzz amongst
the
audience s.  We’ll unravel the mys
tery
by 14th of Mar ch and I’m sure it
will
surely take Sang ini to newer heig hts!”
- adds Deeya.
23
Indian
Personality

‘Fake it till you make it – but do it genuinely’

Indian Weekender with Curry Munchers and Shortland Street star Leela Patel
DEV NADKARNI Holding back tears is always very challenging for me.
Leela Patel’s bubbliness is infectious. And it’s not hard
to see why. It’s not often that one comes across such a How does Apu’s role compare with your role
positive person as Leela. She has an incredible gift of in Apron Strings in terms of range and inten-
seeing the positive side of things, as though her lovely, sity?
eloquent eyes are forever looking for the silver lining My role as Apu compared to Tara in Apron Strings
in the darkest of clouds. is that in Apron Strings, I was dwelling in the past
“Life is what you make of it. It’s about choices. It is and held on to very strong negative beliefs which I
up to you to see things positively and create happiness felt I could not change and accepted life as I saw it.
and contentment for yourself. You are what you think. However, in Curry Munchers, I was dealing with
You think positive, visualize positive – and that’s all current and future issues where I was able to com-
you need to get ahead and be happy,” she says with a promise and come to terms with a new way of life,
gleam in her eyes. looking forward to a brighter future which I had
Life for Leela, who is instantly recognised in New control of.
Zealand and Fiji by Shortland Street buffs as Shobha- What is the sort of role you would want to do
na Kumari (Shanti’s mom), has never been easy. Born next? What’s your dream role?
in a conservative Gujarati family, she had to struggle The kind of role I would love to do next would be
hard to embark on the path of her true calling – per- something very outrageous compared to the motherly
forming art. Even if she could convince her immedi- roles I have always had. A role where I can let loose
ate family, the larger community’s conservatism was and be a daring social outcast, wanting my freedom
never easy to deal with. and going against the normal expectations of the
She honed her singing talent by performing in Indian woman. That would be fun [smiles with glee].
musical groups during her student days. It was rather My dream role would be to make another appear-
late in life when she discovered her talent for acting ance on Shortland Street but to be the outrageous twin
and successfully auditioned for both the big and small of Shobhna or an outrageous Shobhna who has had
screens. enough of being good all the time [laughs] but I also
Before her Shortland Street assignment (the latest dream of the day when a horror, thriller or romantic
of which aired only last month), her performance in role is written for me or even a musical, as I love to
Apron Strings, a film based in Auckland, received sing.
critical acclaim and she was invited to its screening
at a film festival in Dubai. Though she has done small Would you consider a Bollywood movie if the
roles in several screen efforts down the years, she has opportunity arose?
been lately in the news for her role in Curry Munch- I would definitely consider a Bollywood movie. It
ers. would be a chance of a lifetime and very exciting to
Indian Weekender editor in chief Dev Nadkarni meet the famous actors I have seen on screen. It would
caught up with her in the week of the film’s premiere be very interesting working with directors, producers
in Auckland last week. Excerpts from the interview: and actors from India as I have not done this before.

What is your reaction to your performance in Is screen acting a viable option as a career
Curry Munchers? What was it like watching in New Zealand particularly as a Kiwi Indian?
yourself on screen as Apu? How could there be more opportunities
My performance in Curry Munchers was like carry- created?
ing on from my role in Shortland Street as in both, my It would be lovely if screen acting was a viable option
backgrounds came from an upper class society and as a career in New Zealand for Indians but it seems
the roles were slightly similar – being a mother. there are very limited roles for us as we always tend to
Watching myself on screen was hard in the sense that get migrant roles. However, I feel blessed with the op-
Apu’s emotions were brought on from memories of portunities I have been given and have enjoyed every
the past, which repeated the heartaches of that time. moment of my time with Film and TV. One way of
I was very fortunate that director Cristobal Lobos creating more opportunities is maybe to have ideas
gave me the freedom to play with my character and from the public or actors themselves with story lines,
let me improvise from the actual script, as actors are which have not been used.
not usually given this opportunity. I was able to work
with my character to make it more believable not just Is there anything you would like to share with
for me but also for the audience especially the “silent your growing fan club here?
tear” scene. To my fans and Indian Weekender readers,
I would like to say that the power of the mind is
What was your most challenging moment in amazing. Believe in yourself that you can have the life
Curry Munchers? you dream of, and that with determination and a posi-
The most challenging moments were always with tive attitude, you will succeed. My favourite quote is
Anand (who plays my son Sid). He always reminded “Fake it till you make it” – it has worked for me and
me of my own son who I am very close to and I always there’s no reason why it won’t work for you too, or
became emotional before the shooting of the scene. anyone else.

24 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian

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and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
Heritage

What makes India ‘Maximum’?

ram lingam

‘Brand India’ has two powers – first is the obvious money power and the other one is the good old ‘soft power’. Ask
anybody who recently visited India and they will tell you all about the money power. But the second is the soft power –
the power of an attractive Indian culture. Incidentally this second ‘soft power’ is being showcased in Washington this
month. It’s called the ‘Maximum India’ festival celebrating India’s attractive culture and diversity. But there is a funda-
mental center to this diversity, which is the core of it all? What’s that foundation that makes India ‘Maximum’?
Heard of ‘India shining’, ‘India Everywhere’, folk puppets among other exotic stuff. Add to all the famous Jhatka-Matka Bollywood se- Apparently ‘Ahir Bhairav’ is one of the most
‘Incredible India’, ‘India Emerging’, the India- that the customary presence of celebrities from quence. But does that help discover the real widely used Indian Rāgas in Bollywood Hindi
this-India-that slogans, well…here’s the latest. the art industry and of course Bollywood icons. India. In the case of classical performances the Films.
It’s “Maximum India” ~ a festival of India to There is even an interactive space planned for audience invariably appreciates but draws a Take cuisine, music, fashion, philoso-
be held in Washington in March. Does this children called ‘Hi, I am India’ by pop artist blank face when asked about the intricacies of phy, art, drama, yoga, literature, Ayurveda,
sound like an extended Auckland Diwali mela duo Thukral and Tagra. To top this, 12 award the mudras and abhinaya etc. Same is the story science, technology, space, mathematics etc.
without the festivity? winning Indian chefs from The Taj Group of with fine classical vocal renditions where the Its origins are in the antiquated past, when
The Kennedy centre where the programme Hotels, will cook and showcase Indian food for root rāgas are not talked about. The Bollywood India was a knowledge society. The secret of
is hosted, captures the show this way:”India is participants and visitors. How about that for tamashas which is one aspect of Indian life is India’s soft power is in the core body of knowl-
vast: 1.2 billion people; 24 languages; 1,600 showcasing India’s soft power? The term ‘soft probably blown out of proportion and some- edge and her knowledge traditions. That’s the
dialects; 28 states; myriad cuisines; 330,000 power’ was first coined by Harvard University times misrepresents Indian culture. Ultimately real India behind her ‘soft power’.
gods and goddesses; 300 ways to cook a professor, Joseph Nye to describe a country’s the audience wants an authentic experience of But today, the image of real India seems to
potato; the Ganges attracting millions to its ability to alter the behaviour of others through real India not a superficial one. be distorted by stereotypical media blow-outs
banks; home also of Mahatma Gandhi—a attraction rather than sticks or carrots. In this age of reason, it’s increasingly im- from time to time. The media religiously por-
moral force; and one of the richest and most So, what does this soft power really mean perative, atleast for the sake of the next gen- trays the same Indian story of social depriva-
ancient cultures on the planet...India amazes for India? Explains the Indian Member of Par- eration, to know the real core of India, which tion without understanding the complexities of
with the majesty and mystery of its culture. Its liament, thinker and author Shashi Tharoor: sustains her soft power. It’s not just some a diverse country and sometimes uses fringe
brilliance is that it is a country of extremes— ‘India is fast becoming a superpower -- not exotic stuff. The Indian soft power is rooted in elements to generalize about India. Take the
intellect, innovation, survival, and experi- just through trade and politics, but through ancient Indian culture. This foundation is what TV show ‘Idiot abroad’, where this guy from
mentation. We have traveled, researched, and “soft” power, its ability to share its culture has made Indian culture a time tested one and the UK goes to some cornershop and takes
scoured the country for the best it can offer, with the world through food, music, technol- a benediction. This centre lies in the ancient blessings from a bunch of dimwit naked yoga-
and India offers the maximum. This festival ogy, Bollywood. He argues that in the long text scriptures and there are sages, scientists, freak-babas, who are in no way representative
will truly be maximum India.” run it’s not the size of the army that matters musicians, mystics, mathematicians, logicians of the spirit of the real India. Sadly main-
About this show, the US Ambassador as much as a country’s ability to influence the behind the entire core. stream psyche has been influenced.
Timothy J. Roemer adds “Maximum India will world’s hearts and minds.’ Take authentic Indian cuisine for Given this state of ignorance, the true
take Indian textiles, dance, music, jewellery, There have been so many India festivals example…it has got direct roots in Ayurve- foundation behind Maximum India needs to
literature and cuisine to US to allow Ameri- that this soft power becomes just another da. Indian music has its source in the Gand- be communicated smartly by showcasing its
cans to experience what Barack Obama and display of old art forms which hardly anybody harva Veda; Indian dance has Nātya Shāstras significance which has been embedded in our
his wife experienced in India.” understands. We very well know that ‘India as its base. Even the humble masālā mix and sanskriti. It’s better late than never to discover
Typically there will be the unique perfor- heritage’ shows comes in standard packages the tadka are in the ancient recipes. The list the real core of India, rather than just unwisely
mances by exotic classical musicians like Shri with classical dance performances, vocal and goes on. The many melodies of Bollywood are trumpeting about how great our Indian culture
Bundu Khan Langa & Manganiyars troupe, instrumental jugalbandis, folk arts and above ‘cool’ because they are supported by the rāgas. is.

26 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian

Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance 27
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
Tropical Cairns – Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef
ANMOL TRIKANNAD
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in
the world and one of the seven natural wonders
of the world. It has been a UNESCO World Heri-
tage site since 1981, covers an area the size of
the United Kingdom and is the only living thing
visible from space. No wonder then that more than
30,000 Kiwis choose to visit
the tropical climes of North-
ern Queensland every year,
with a large proportion vis- No wonder then that more than 30,000 Kiwis choose
iting Cairns as a gateway to
the Great Barrier Reef. to visit the tropical climes of Northern Queensland
Standing on the edge of
the wharf in Cairns, I just every year, with a large proportion visiting Cairns as
see a vast opulence of water,
with no end in sight. Scepti- a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
cism creeps in when you see
the effects of commerciali-
sation – mechanical boats,
high rise buildings and shops galore – wondering
what part of this is revered as a natural wonder? I
console myself that a 5am start and lack of coffee
might be clouding my judgement.
My name is called out and I eagerly raise my
hand like a 5 year old on his first day at school.
The enthusiasm quickly gives way to mild fear as
a strange feeling creeps in. I was warned that there
will be no sight of land for the next 3 days. The in-
demnity form providing a grim reminder of what
I signed up for– a 3-day liveaboard on the Outer
Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef
For those who enjoy or are interested in snorkel-
ling or diving, like me, will find the Great Barrier
Reef the highlight of their trip. Several charters
28 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
run day long trips if you are short on time. To truly
appreciate the reef, sign up for a liveaboard.  Live-
aboards range from overnight to week long stays
on the outer reef, so shop around for what suits you
best from the numerous shops dotting the Cairns
city centre. If you want to learn how to dive, the
operators can incorporate this into the trips too.
I chose Pro Dive Cairns, a leading dive opera-
tor that has national and international accolades.
ProDive offers a 3 day, 2 night liveaboard which
runs every day of the week, except Tuesday. The
trip includes a total of 11 dives, including 2 night
dives on a purpose built dive boat. Stay in twin
share accommodation with a maximum of 32
allowed on the dive boat.  The ride to the outer
reef takes about 2 hours and is also a good time to
test your sea-worthiness. The liveaboard menu is
simple. Eat-dive/snorkel-sleep. In between dives,
you get a chance to lounge out on the upper deck
and take in the sunshine and admire water, water
and more water.
Aquatic life tends to follow a similar pattern
to us humans; wake up in the morning, work for
food, play, return home and sleep. Repeat. On the
early morning dive, go behind the scenes as the
sea-life gets ready to venture out of their coral
homes. Duck! As an Eagle Ray glides effortlessly
past you. On the morning/afternoon dive, watch
the sea-life forage on coral and other sea creatures;
the food chain at work. Look out for a hawksbill
pecking at sponges. The pre-sunset dive allows
you to observe the sea-life return home to roost.
Say hi to ‘Nemo’, sitting snugly between the sea
anemone, guarded by mum and dad. The icing
on the cake is the night dive, where you witness
sea-life getting ready or already in bed. If you are
lucky you might see a parrotfish hiding in a crevice
with a ‘force field’ blown all around it, a mucous
layer which keeps predators at bay. I must admit
the second night dive turned out to be more of an
adventure given there were three gray reef sharks
swimming around the boat. The ‘Jaws’ tune which
kept playing in my head did not help my cause.
As we were returning to shore I couldn’t help
but smile. I was congratulating myself, having
completed 11 dives over the course of 3 days (I had
only dived 5 times before this). I met some incred-
ible people on-board, a united nations of divers, if
you wish. I had conquered the Great Barrier Reef.
Well, a small portion of the vast expanse really,
and in the process witnessed first-hand, the deli-
cate eco-system which lies beneath. As I get off
the dive boat, the ground beneath my feet begins
to tremble. ‘Sea legs’ is quite common I am told.
Hopefully amnesia is not.
Cairns CBD
Back on dry land, you know you are in Cairns
when you see a massive swimming pool in the city
centre. It’s a great place be if you are a kid or to
feel like one as you splash around
in a 4,800 square metre saltwater
lagoon located in the foreshore
promenade area.  Keep fit by
roller blading, cycling, running or
walking the 3km Esplanade trail
which takes you close to the sur-
rounding restaurants and shops.
Indulge your wild side by trying
the ‘Outback Sampler’ comprising
emu medallions, roast kangaroo
and crocodile sausages. Ochre,
which is a few blocks away, also offers exotic meat
and a fresh seafood selection to delight the senses.
If you prefer to see them alive instead of on your
plate, head to the Cairns Wildlife Dome, a wildlife
exhibit enclosed by a 20 metre high glass dome
situated inside the Reef Hotel Casino. The daily
night markets beckon with true blue Aussie sou-
venirs on offer such as kangaroo jerky, crocodile
Dundee hats and the famed Didgeridoo.
Crocodile done, indeed
Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, located 40km
north of Cairns provides an unforgettable, up close
and personal encounter with these fearsome crea-
tures. Crocs have been around for more than 200
million years and this one day trip will help you
appreciate these magnificent yet formidable rep-
tiles. A simulated natural habitat, this wildlife park
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Travel
covers 10 hectares and is as much a sanctuary as a
tool to educate the masses on all things croc.
On the river boat cruise, adult crocs showcase
their circus tricks as they leap out of the water to
grab a chunk of meat hanging off a pole. Young
crocs in a sustainable commercial farm, await
their fate, en route to adorning the arms of the rich
and the famous as leather handbags. The park’s
keepers get up-close and personal in an enclosure
showcasing how crocs hunt and kill their prey. If
all of this has got you hungry, you can sample croc
meat at the cafeteria, which tastes surprisingly
like chicken. If you are not particularly into crocs,
you can pet cuddly koalas, chuckle at the laugh-
ing kookaburras, gaze at the shy Cassowaries or
volunteer to have a snake wrapped around you.
Transfers to and from the city are provided when
you book with a tour operator.
Fast facts
GETTING THERE: Air New Zea-
land and Pacific Blue fly direct be-
tween Auckland and Cairns. There
are more options if you choose to
fly via other major Australian cities
such as Sydney, Melbourne and
Brisbane.
CURRENCY: 1 AUD currently
equals 1.29 NZD
WEATHER: Tropical climate -
winters mild with low rainfall,
summers warm and humid with
increased rainfall. Average maxi-
mum and minimum temperatures
31.4C and 17C respectively.
Spring/Summer: Sep – February. 
Autumn/Winter: March-August
WHEN TO GO: Kiwis get their
wings and flock to the city during
the winter(June-August) only to
be joined by drones of domestic
tourists with the same idea. Peak
season is June to October.
Whale watching season runs from
May-August. Commonly sighted
whale species are Dwarf Minke
and the Humpback. The summer
or ‘wet-season’ (Dec-february) is
not a popular time to visit because
of ‘Stingers’ (box jellyfish), which
get washed into the sea, and tropi-
cal cyclones. 
 Indian
The consent process – is it daunting?
Bobby Banerjee
Most of the property owners tend to focus on renovat-
ing and adding value to their property in the current
scenario. Statistics New Zealand figures this week
show the value of building consents for houses and
apartments slumped by 36 per cent from $6.1 billion
to $3.9 billion in the year to May. But the value of con-
sents for additions and alterations has virtually held
steady at just over $1 billion as home owners switch to
new kitchens, bathrooms and extensions instead. Cer-
tified Builders Association president Derek Baxter
said the renovation boom was partly compensating
for the collapse in new building work over the past
two years. “There’s been a dramatic shift from new
house construction to additions and alterations and a
lot of change to smaller work that a couple of years ago
you just couldn’t get a builder to do.” The number of
consents had fallen but the average value of the work
was higher.
However it is seen that there are 2 major concerns
when it comes to renovations
Who to approach first – the builder or a de-
signer?
It is often a dilemma to decide the point of first contact.
Builders usually are happy to come over and have a
look to give you some advice and a quote. However
they are conscious of the time they have to spend on
site and to prepare a quote if they are not sure that they
will get the job. Often it is found that they are not able
to give a detailed quote in the time frame they had
promised due to other priorities. Moreover they are
not able to advice on any planning or Consent related
matters. They may or may not be able to foresee
whether the proposed activity would need a building
consent. This is where the Designer is able to guide
you. The ideal way is therefore to consult a designer
and builder simultaneously.
Will my renovation need a Building Consent?
There seems to be a lot of ambiguity amongst prop-
erty owners on the nature of work that can be under-
taken without a Building consent. All building work,
irrespective of whether it requires a consent or not,
must be done to meet the standards of performance
set by the Building Code. It sets out certain building
work that does not require a building consent which is
Quake impact on economy
and mortgage rates
RAVI MEHTA
Christchurch earthquake has done significant
damage to the already fragile economic recovery in
New Zealand.
The September 2010 earthquake had a major
impact on NZ economy, but its effect was less severe.
It was estimated to be around 5 billion dollars at that
time. Though no accurate figures are available about
loss from this quake, experts feel it will be at least
15 billion. The impact on economy will be severe in
short term.
The economic growth was fragile even other-
wise, but now one important economic area, Canter-
bury will not contribute to country’s growth for many
months to come. The consumer confidence will
weaken resulting in lower spending.
There is also fear that many of Canterbury resi-
dents may leave the region forever, with few migrat-
ing to other parts of country and few to other coun-
tries. If these fears become true, Canterbury economy
may be in bad shape for years to come.
Economists are calling for immediate cut in OCR
by Reserve Bank. They feel, it to be of some use, it
should be a cut of 50 basis points. In anticipation of
the same, most of New Zealand banks have already
lowered their short term fixed mortgage rates.
Though, decrease in mortgage rates will help
house owners to some extent, but they should brace
up themselves for significant increase in insurance
premiums. Not only Earthquake commission levies
will go up, but also the cost of reinsurance for our
local insurance companies will increase. The interna-
tional re -insurers will re assesses New Zealand risk
and may significantly increase cost of re insurance.
Coming to international markets, crude oil prices
are on the rise. Crude briefly crossed $100 per barrel
before retreating (at the time of writing this column).
Major cause of it had been unrest in Middle East. But
even otherwise, trend looks to be upward; it will not
be a surprise if crude oil prices touch $150 per barrel
Indian Weekender
in near future. Inflation is| picking
Marchup4,in2011
Europe,|
Columns
referred to as ‘exempt work’. The lists below provide a
summary, but it good to check with the Local council
or your designer to be sure.
These activities DO require a building
consent:
l Structural building - additions, alterations, re-pil-
ing, demolition
l Plumbing and drainage (except repair and mainte-
nance of existing & comparable components)
l Relocating a building
l Installing a wood burner or air-conditioning system
l Retaining walls higher than 1.5 metres
l Fences or walls higher than 2 metres, and all swim-
ming pools and their associated fences
l Decks, platforms or bridges more than 1 metre
above ground level
l Sheds greater than 10 square metres in floor area
These activities DON’T require a building
consent:
l A patio or deck at ground level
l Garden trellis less than 2 metres high
l Maintenance of your house, for example, replacing
spouting or a piece of weatherboard
replacing or altering linings or finishes of any internal
wall, ceiling, or floor of a dwelling
l Building a small garden shed (provided it is no
closer than its own height to the boundary, is under 10
m², and less than one storey high)
l making a penetration no greater than 30cm in di-
ameter to enable the passage of pipes, cables, ducts,
wires and hoses and the like through any existing
building, and any associated work such as weather-
proofing, fireproofing or sealing
l installing thermal insulation in an existing build-
ing other than in an external wall or a firewall of the
building 
For any renovation related queries call Bobby on
836 0576 or visit www.tarzandesign.co.nz
Bobby is the director of Tarzan Design Ltd. provid-
ing architectural design solutions for you in Auckland
since the past 15 years. They specialise in renovations,
new homes and commercial interior refurbishments
from preparation of conceptual design to getting you
a building consent
which may result in increase in interest rates in those
countries. Rising interest rates in other countries, but
lower in New Zealand may put downward pressure
on Kiwi dollar. Though it will help our exports, it will
make imports including fuel even more costly. Rising
costs of fuel will burden common man. Discretionary
spending may be cut by them to cover increased fuel
costs, keeping the growth slow.
If we look beyond 12 months, it seems economy
will improve. Lot of reinsurer money will flow into
New Zealand economy. Re construction of Christ-
church will begin. The world commodity prices are
already high. Lower Kiwi dollar will help exporters
and their purchasing power will increase. With in-
creased economic activity, inflation will start picking
up, so interest rates may start jumping sharply in
2012.
The immediate need is to boost consumer confi-
dence and to stop migration of people from Christ-
church. Already, big businesses have pledged their
support to Christchurch. The Government can give
these tax breaks to help those who stand up again.
Also Government should think about having an im-
migration policy specifically for Canterbury region.
The new immigrants under that category may be
required to live at least first 7 years in that region.
Reducing requirements of degrees and English profi-
ciency tests, people needed in Christchurch should be
encouraged to migrate there.
Interest rate expectations
Reserve bank is expected to keep the OCR low
for at least 12 months. Interest rates in international
markets may increase during that period of time. So
over coming months, the gap between short term and
long term rates will increase.
Ravi Mehta is an Auckland based Financial Advisor
and can be contacted on ravi.mehta@pfsl.co.nz. A
disclosure statement under Securities Markets Act
relating to his services is available on request and is
www.iwk.co.nz
free of charge. PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance 29
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian
Getting back in shape
– after baby
Varsha Asrani
Finally the wait is over!
Having passed through the joy and the pain
of labor …. and while the baby is now a
reality, you might be thinking about all the
possible activities that need your attention
and your plan of action to achieve them.
From breast feeding to weaning, from
crying to playing and development, nappy
changing, the constant free family advice to
self anxiety and post – natal depression it’s a
roller – coaster ride.
While life is a frantic rush post delivery it
also raises a few routine questions and some
common expressions - How do I get back to
routine - what’s the best and the quickest
way, when will I get to work and above all
the famous in front of the mirror expression
“Look at me” caused by the loads of weight
gained throughout pregnancy which has now
stayed on, which is often followed by the
question….how will I get back into shape?
While weight gain differs between indi-
viduals, a general weight gain of about 10
to 12 kgs during pregnancy is expected. It is
known that breast feeding can help you lose
post pregnancy weight, the fact remains that
you will not lose all.
A common issue that my clients face is
that they indulge in grazing on food espe-
cially when the child is sleeping or when
they are out with family or friends celebrat-
ing the occasion. While it is natural to feel
hungrier while you are breast feeding, it is
important to make the right choice to keep
your energy up without encouraging weight
gain.
Some healthy options could be a fresh
30 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance
and help the community. See page 9 for details
fruit, grainy or whole wheat crackers with a
low fat dip, yoghurt, bran muffins, smooth-
ies or low-fat lassi ,sandwich with whole
grain bread or even a roti made with whole
wheat f lour and gram f lour. The choices are
endless and they all suffice the need for es-
sential nutrients.
During breast feeding, your appetite
changes depending on your physical needs
and this can change with time, make sure
you sit down and relax while you eat, spend
time to eat, while your partner/husband
or a family member looks after your baby,
as rushing through your meals can cause
rebound hunger which doesn’t help with
keeping that weight in control.
Another important bit is to add exercise
to your routine, take time out for a walk
while someone looks after your baby or take
your baby out with you in a pram; make sure
you move around as much as possible.
Post pregnancy weight loss can be quite
challenging and can cause anxiety in most
women, but doing the little bit every day can
lead the change and ensure positive results.
Just don’t give up, be consistent and per-
sistent with the practice and you will be
what you want to be.
This article is a general guideline ONLY.
Please see, a health professional for individ-
ual conditions and needs.
Varsha Asrani is a New Zealand Reg-
istered Dietitian. For personal consulta-
tions or any questions, suggestions or views
please email her on info@varshaasrani.
com.
Coping with killer stress
ADEELA AFIZ
In today’s busy world where we manage
jobs, families, finances and life, we have
gotten to a point where stress is a subcon-
scious part of every minute of our day.
We do not even realise that our jaws may
be tightly clenched, our quality of sleep is
poor and stress hormones such as cortisol
and adrenalin, are constantly in our blood
stream. This is not only detrimental to
day to day life but increasingly stress in
becoming the number one cause for many
life threatening illnesses.
Stress affects us physically, mentally and
emotionally. Physically, stress is most often
stored in the neck and shoulder areas, re-
sulting in chronically tight, painful muscles.
This is a complaint that is very common
with many office workers.
Mentally and emotionally, stress causes us
to be frustrated, overwhelmed and often
to be short tempered with our loved ones.
Prolonged stress is also associated with
health problems such as high blood pres-
sure, depression and bowel diseases, not
to mention that it is detrimental in the heal-
ing of any other health disease or disorder.
What happens when you are stressed?
When you perceive a threat, your nervous
system responds by releasing a flood of
stress hormones, including adrenaline and
cortisol.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
Columns
Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten,
blood pressure rises, breath quickens,
and your senses become sharper. These
physical changes increase your strength
and stamina, preparing you to either fight
or flee from the danger at hand. However,
if your body is continually stressed it will
lead to a reduction in your physical and
emotional health.
What to do?
Small changes can be made to reduce the
stress in our everyday lives,
Have a routine: A lot of stress is caused
due to the shortage of time. Constantly
being in a rush causes your body to be in
a state of stress. Getting up early, having
time to eat breakfast before leaving the
house and leaving enough time to get
to your job or appointments will not only
make you more efficient but reduce the
stress caused by peak hour traffic jams.
Exercise: A great way to get rid of the build
up of stress hormones is to sweat them
out. Exercise releases endorphins, your
body’s natural feel good drugs, which will
leave you feeling happy and combat heart
disease.
Complimentary healthcare: Naturopathy,
Ayurveda, Chiropractic or massage as
well as other forms of complimentary and
natural health care are wonderful ways to
reduce stress and increase your health
and well being.
Indian
As a chiropractor, I see many people suffer-
ing the physical and mental effects of stress
and notice that by keeping regular appoint-
ments not only are they in better physical
shape but are more emotionally balanced
during stressful periods.
A good health care practitioner will support
you both physically and mentally through
stressful times as well as provide you with
or refer you to other services that you may
need such as nutritional supplementation or
counselling.
Talk about it: A problem shared is a problem
halved. Often talking about your situation
with a trusted friend, family member or col-
league will give you a chance to share the
load as well as get a new perspective on the
problem.
If you feel you are unable to talk to anyone
that you know, professional counselling
or a life coach can provide you with a safe
environment to share your feeling or help
you if you feel stuck in a rut and need some
external motivation.
Remember the important things, spending
time with family and loved ones, watching
a funny movie or giving yourself a break
are essential components to a happy and
healthy life. For more information or for a
consultation please contact me.
Dr. Adeela Afiz, Chiropractor
021 029 07486, adeela_a@yahoo.com
5 Easy
steps  to stop
Hair Fall &
Graying Of
Hair.
By Swami Ramdevji
l Do pranayam everyday.
l Everyday use Swami Ram-
devji’s Herbal Shampoo to wash
your hair, which has Ritha, Amla,
henna, Shikakai, Aloe vera, Bhrn-
ga-raj. It acts as a conditioner as
well.
l Nails of the fingers of both
hands should be rubbed together
for five minutes continuously
thrice a day regularly to stop hair
fall and graying of hair.
l Drink 100% pure Aloe Vera
juice & 100% pure Amla Juice
(two spoon each) in the morning
and evening. It will give nourish-
ment to your hair from inside the
body. This has been experiment-
ed on lots of people in India.
l Use Ramdevji’s herbal hair oil
at night, which has Brahmi, Amla,
Bhrnga-raja, sesame oil to cure
Hair fall, Dandruff, Alopecia &
Premature graying of hair.
Next Issue – Arthritis and Joint
pain.
Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
By Ruby Dhillon
Recipe
Paneer
Mushrooms
Snacks
Ingredients:
l 200g- mid sized button mushrooms
l 100g- paneer, mashed
l 1 or 2- green chillis, chopped
l 1tbs- coriander finely chopped
l Salt according to taste
l Oil for frying
l  Sauce that you like (Tabasco or
tomato ketchup)
Methods:
1. Wash the mushrooms with warm water
and take out the thick stems – leaving a
hole.
2. Leave the mushrooms in hot water for a
while till you make the stuffing mixture with
paneer, green chilli, salt and coriander.
3. Stuff the mushrooms with the paneer
mixture.
4. Heat oil in a non stick pan and cook
stuffed mushrooms for 2 minutes.
5. You can cook them on a barbecue plate
as well.
6. Serve with a dot of sauce on it.
BHAGWAT
MAHAPURAN
Be Enlightened
13 March – 17th March
Spiritual Talks in Hindi by Sushri
Gopeshwari Devi (Preacher of Jagad-
guru Shiru Kripalu Ji Maharaj)
Date: & Time :
7.00 -8.30pm 13 March (Sunday)
7.30 – 9.00pm 14th (Mon)
– 17th March (Thu)
Venue:
Mahatma Ghandi Centre from Auck-
land Indian Association
145 New North Road, Eden Terrace,
Mt Eden
About Sushri Gopeshwari Devi
Sushri Gopeshwari Devi is an eminent
preacher of India’s most revered saint,
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj –
only the 5th Guru to be honoured with
the title of Jagadguru (Spiritual Master
of the World) in the last 5,000 years.
She holds a BA (Hons) in English
Literature and a Masters Degree in
Western Philosophy.
A powerfully vibrant and passionate
speaker, Didi Ji combines deep knowl-
edge of the Holy texts with simple
analogies and humorous anecdote,
bringing clarity and understanding to
the most extraordinary of subjects.
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PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance 31
and help the community. See page 9 for details
Indian

32 PLEASE DONATE generously to help raise funds for a St John ambulance Indian Weekender | March 4, 2011 | www.iwk.co.nz
and help the community. See page 9 for details