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OCTOBER 2018

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MELBOURNE

Eye on Wentworth Liberal candidate Dave Sharma

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OCTOBER 2018 5

Parramatta Park

The story of Deepavali

6 OCTOBER 2018

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EDITORIAL

Of leadership crises and challenges

PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR Neha Malude MELBOURNE COORDINATOR Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Carl Buhariwala, Aneeta Menon, Chitra Sudarshan, Ritam Mitra, Sandip Hor, Minal Khona, Auntyji ADVERTISING MANAGER Shriti Sinha 0410 578 146 ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004

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INDIAN LINK MEDIA GROUP Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005 Email: info@indianlink.com.au

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

alcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison, Bill Shorten, Gladys Berejiklan and now Michelle Guthrie, have all been in the news this past month with their management styles in focus, and found largely wanting. While former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during his time in the leadership role could not define his style of management due to the many conflicting factors in his government, his successor current PM Scott Morrison is trying his best to show himself off as a regular bloke who plays footy, enjoys a beer and a sausage sizzle. His management style seems to be that of a boxer who will throw a ‘feint’ from the left glove but punch from the right glove. His recent positioning on the immigration debate seems to vindicate this. To appease the hard right in his party who want to reduce immigration as it puts pressure on urban infrastructure, his government

will stream new migrants to regional areas, which will also appease those who believe current migration levels need to be sustained at current numbers. The PM may well surprise a lot of sceptics of his management style as he is a good communicator who has a good grasp of policy and public pulse. According to reports, these were the traits which Michelle Guthrie, the recently sacked head of the ABC, did not have. Among other things, she has been called out for her management style, and for her inability to communicate effectively with her staff rom an Indian ustralian oint of view, perhaps it could be asked, did Guthrie do enough to help the ABC crew led by well res ected ournalist hil dams when it was denied visas, as apparent retaliation to an ABC story on Adani – this despite the fact she worked closely with Indian government re resentatives here during the onfluence estival, of which ABC was a sponsor. The Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten has not been able to ‘cut through’ either with his leadership style. While the Coalition is busy changing leaders, the ALP has held on to their leader in spite of regular polls showing that he is ust not ma ing it It is said

that stereotypes, shortcuts and shallow invective are effective in the short run, but they’re not useful, important or the best, and people can see through these. With less than eight months for an election to be called at the ederal level, it might be good for the public to know who he is, as at this stage it looks as though he will be taking over the Lodge after the next elections. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has had her leadership style questioned publicly with a spat between two of her senior colleagues, the Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and the Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Williams. With an attempt by the Treasurer to parachute himself in the electorate of Minister Williams, the very public spat has harmed the Premier with her inability to keep the battle behind closed doors. Her leadership during the post mortem of this will be interesting to observe. Being a leader is never easy: all of your actions are under the microscope, looked at through the interpretive lens of all those franchised or disenfranchised by your decisions. But the opportunity to make a lasting difference is always at hand ust think of Gandhi, Churchill, Gates, Ma, Martin Luther King, Mandela, Lincoln.

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OCTOBER 2018 7

CONTENTS 19

SPECIAL FEATURES COMMUNITY Shirdi Sai Sansthan in aid of Leukodystrophy

MUSIC Sam Evans gets Australia’s first ever PhD in tabla

19 22

LGBTQ Section 377 repeal

SPORT Australia awaits humbled India

FOOD Strawberries on our mind

8 OCTOBER 2018

COVER STORY

Meet Dave Sharma, Liberal candidate in the upcoming Wentworth by-elections

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Jason Wood MP

Federal Member for La Trobe R RING FO MMUNITY E V I L E D I A N CO D N I R U O

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A message from Jason As your elected Federal Member of Parliament, it is my privilege to represent the people of La Trobe. Our local area is a great place to live, work and raise a family. I am here to listen to you, learn from you and present a strong voice in Canberra for our community. There are over 100,000 constituents in La Trobe from a diverse range of backgrounds. I want to learn more about how I can help you and your family. Keeping in touch with your views and opinions helps me to represent you. You are welcome to write or send an email any time.

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Unit 3/16 Langmore Lane, PO Box 539, Berwick VIC 3806 97689164

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OCTOBER 2018 9

YOUR SAY

EMPOWERING MIGRANT WORKERS

CARL BUHARIWALA reported on the newly opened Migrant Workers Centre in Victoria that helps migrants understand their working rights better. Migrant Workers Centre wrote: Thank you @indian_link for coming to our launch party! Look forward to fascinating opportunities to engage Indian communities in Victoria!

IFFM MASALA AND MUSINGS

PREETI JABBAL channelled her inner fashion police for the stars’ red carpet. Sonu Sodhi wrote: Preeti, your news stories are always lovely. A comment in reference to Rani Mukerji’s hair look – ‘an overzealous straightener’ had me chuckling. It’s a look that is very much trending and is referred to as ‘glass hair’. I feel sorry for the makeup artist who would have got her ready but I guess you were looking for something that did not go right.

WORLD’S LARGEST STATUE

GOODBYE, SECTION #377

Indian Link Radio’s KASHIF HARRISON spoke to Darshil, a campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights about the recently-quashed Section 377. Baljeet Rana wrote: Love your energy Darshil! Kudos to everyone who made this possible! #sec377scrapped. Kamalika Dasgupta wrote: You did a great job Darshil. We need more people like you! Adrian Moodley wrote: Great job Darshil! Harrish Iyer wrote: Good job. Peter Cooper wrote: Wow Darshil! Fantastic! Well said, my friend! It’s great to see you so happy!

SAY IT AGAIN 10 OCTOBER 2018

We ran an online story about the upcoming Sardar Patel statue in Ahmedabad, India, which will be the world’s largest, at 182m tall. Not for long though, as it will be surpassed by Mumbai’s Shivaji memorial in 2021 (212m). We asked readers if they are in support of this ‘tall’ trend Sivee Bhatia wrote: This would have looked good if other important issues were being handled with the same passion. And also, if we are keen on having more artistic stuff... we have a lot of archaeological heritage that needs to be saved from rotting. Deepika Bharti wrote: Not at all. When I can’t see much happening on safety issues, water not safe to drink, public transport not safe to travel, roads and bridges not safe… and we can go on and on. Aditya Narayan wrote: Roads, bridges, rail tracks, flood ravaged areas, drought ravaged areas, clean drinking water, electricity, clean food, toilets, houses, transportation, ambulances... All these can be done with the money being wasted on these statues. The work done there will be taller than these statues can ever be Sushma Putta wrote: Wasting tax payers’ money.... that’s what it is.

Karl, if you cannot get another gig on TV, nothing wrong in working at 7Eleven… Twitter user XdulkarSydney, on reports that a move to Ch 7 could have saved Ch 9’s golden boy

Concudng the official visit to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi – a comprehensive program of start-ups, STEM, higher ed, research sciences, government, sport and the arts Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, currently touring India

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CAPTION CONTEST

ON THE AUSTRALIA INDIA YOUTH DIALOGUE (AIYD)

RITAM MITRA reported on the strategy launch for AIYD 2019 Karan Anand wrote: Really nicely written piece by Indian Link about the Australia India Youth Dialogue launch in Sydney Rajni Luthra wrote: Did not realise Australia India Youth Dialogue has such accomplished members: “In its now 200+ strong alumni community, 25% have the title CEO/Founder/Chair, eight are elected MPs and five are news anchors, while its alumni also boast two Walkley Awards, three Olympic golds and 240 one day internationals, and a collective 1.8 million Twitter followers.” Glenn Hunt wrote: Do smart people like Ritam really see anti-globalisation as a threat to economic and cultural cooperation? Well, he won’t have to worry if the globalist elites have their way: it will be one big nicely homogenised corporate controlled world, a la 1984/Animal Farm. The backlash against globalism is more a reaction to a constitutional crisis than anything else and about protecting individual freedom, independence, national and selfsovereignty and cultural identity from the Orwellian corporate/bankster elite agenda of homogenisation and control. It’s frightening that many ‘Intellectuals’ don’t get that and are speaking out against it.

BEYONCE DOES BOLLYWOOD

A video of the Beyonce number ‘Put a ring on it’ synced to ‘Bole chudiya’ from the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham got a lot of laughs. Raghu Rules wrote: Tribute on her 37th birthday, and nicely synced. Manishka Parekh wrote: Made my day! Shivangi Bhowmick wrote: Neha Devarakonda, why didn’t we look like this at MUIC (Melbourne University Indian Club)?

Bollygarchs (of India are) challenging the oligarchs (of Russia) for the title of the most obscenely rich of the global super-rich Peter Hartcher in SMH

What’s the chitchat between Aishwaray Rai Bachchan and daughter Aradhya? Gurpreet Kaur wrote: Mum to daughter, “No achievement is complete without the garland of your hug.” #CelebratingMotherhoodEveryday Geetika Sethi Arora wrote: I don’t want my daughter to follow in my footsteps. I want her to go further than I could have ever dreamt possible Leyla Singh wrote: You can have your trophy, Mum, but in my eyes you are my real-life trophy who I’m so proud to own Saba Nabi wrote: A mum will always be daughter’s first and last friend Nidhi Gupta wrote: Winning true love forever Sahdev Vani wrote: Jaado ki jhappi for mum... for being the best at everything Sunjeev Sharma wrote: No matter what you are giving me, I won’t let you go, mum Khyati Raval wrote: Queen of hearts with her princess Sabiha M Shaikh wrote: Miss World...with her little world Dhiraj Arora wrote: You are the best mum in the whole world! Arix Bishnoi wrote: I won my real price ages ago when I saw you for the first time! Taran Bedi wrote: You are my universe, Mom. Anuja Wani wrote: Cake with cherry on top! Falguni Shah wrote: Mumma, I love you! Anuja Wani wrote: Another gem in her crown! Gurmeet Singh wrote: Good on you, Mum! You are my Number One! Sikander Rana wrote: Hum jeet gaye! Raj Saneja wrote: Aishwarya to Aradhya: I just stole it from your grandfather’s collection. He has too many to notice. Arix Bishnoi wrote: Let’s sell this and make a movie to relaunch dad again! Kala Raghunath wrote: Beta, apko apna jeetna hoga…

WHERE IN INDIA?

A new edition of our regular social media post proved a bit difficult for readers Saba Nabi wrote: Hampi, I think AShree AShree wrote: It’s called as Krishan’s butter ball at Mamallapuram Tamil Nadu. Indian Link replied: That›s the right answer, Ashree!

How pretty is India’s newest airport! Sikkim’s Pakyong airport is a Himalayan beauty Conde Nast Traveller

So pleased to hear that Commander Tomy has been rescued. International cooperation between Australia, India and France at its best Harinder Sidhu

OCTOBER 2018 11

COVER STORY On the campaign trail

Eye on Wentworth I want to help raise the tone of the debate in Canberra, says Dave Sharma, the Liberal candidate in the crucial Wentworth by-election

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

he stakes are high. A loss in the current by election in the seat of Wentworth on 20 October can leave Prime Minister Scott Morrison with a tied House of Representatives. With the confidence of former Prime Ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, the Coalition selected Dave Sharma as their candidate for Wentworth. he Indian origin ave Sharma, who has had a distinguished career in the diplomatic services, has big shoes to fill in the Sydney seat vacated by Malcolm urnbull e tal s here on Indian in Radio about his debut in politics, his vision for ustralia, and about his own Indian heritage. PAWAN LUTHRA: Dave Sharma, welcome to Indian in adio DAVE SHARMA: Good morning Pawan, it’s lovely to be here with you. PL: Dave, I am keen to explore not only your political views but also a bit more about your Indian links. So let me start with something that touches both of these. You’re a good Indian boy. You topped the state in the HSC and even went to medical school for a bit. But now you’re entering politics. Was politics always on your mind? Also, why politics? DS (laughs): That’s a good question, awan ou’re right, I am a good Indian boy I’m a graduate of aw, I even studied Medicine for a year… as you know, all Indian arents want their children to go into one of those two professions. But that said, politics is not in my family and I wasn’t necessarily e ecting to get into politics. Where it’s come from for me, awan, is this: the ast years serving

12 OCTOBER 2018

Australia overseas in places like Papua New Guinea, Washington DC and most recently as mbassador for Israel has given me a lot of great belief and passion in our country Australia, but also a sense that we need to do more to address some of the challenges we face. Attempting to get into politics in the seat of Wentworth is just about the next chapter of public service for me: helping to keep our country strong and secure, helping to keep our economy growing well, and helping to give opportunities for all Australians just like the o ortunities I had and my father had as well arriving in Australia as a migrant), making sure the country keeps delivering for all its people. PL: So what are the challenges do you think Australia is facing at the moment? DS: I thin they’re twofold irstly the strategic environment around Australia is changing quite significantly: the centre of the global economic and strategic weight is shifting from a transatlantic axis to an Indo acific a is hat brings with it many opportunities for ustralian trade, and I think we’ve done well in taking advantage of those. But it’s also bringing new uncertainties and new risks. You see that in the changing strategic balance of power in the region and growing assertiveness from some of the countries who are becoming more powerful and demanding a greater say in the affairs of the world and that creates challenges for us. he second challenge, which I articularly became familiar with during my time in Israel, is that the economy is changing he nature of goods and services that people produce and make countries prosperous is changing: they’re much more information rich and much less physically based, they depend upon a skilled workforce, and are uite nowledge intensive and I do believe Australia needs to do more to position ourselves to capture some of those industries that are highly skilled and work in some of those industries, and remain a country that has high living

standards with a generous social safety net to look after everyone. PL: Australia has seen 27 years of continuous economic growth, the only country in the world to do so. What else can we be doing on a more practical basis? DS: You’re right, we’re about to enter our 28th year of uninterrupted economic e ansion the economic growth figures from the last financial year I thin are 3.4% which is the highest in the OECD. I thin there’s always a ris with that complacency comes with that continued success and we can take continued economic success for granted. The truth of it is that over the years Australia has become a successful and prosperous country because of people working hard, governments ma ing di cult decisions and people tackling policy challenges rather than expecting the economy and the country to run on auto ilot So I think we need to be looking at the next challenges. What we’ve achieved so far is great, but we always need to be mindful of what might be coming over the horizon. In articular what I’d li e to see is the commercialisation and research and development of Australian ideas. Australia has some great universities and some great research minds but we don’t have a very good track record in commercialising these ideas, turning them into commercial propositions and into business plans and business models Israel does that articularly well India does that uite

well as well and I thin we need to learn lessons from countries like these that have a well develo ed, innovative start u and entrepreneurial sectors PL: Dave, we’ll come to politics in a minute but since you touched on the international economic order, do you think Australia is doing enough to engage with India? DS: o, I thin we could always be doing more with India I thin it’s an incredibly im ortant country in the Indo acific: it’s growing in size and in wealth, it’s becoming a more significant strategic actor and we have so much in common with India here’s obviously a large and growing Indian o ulation in ustralia, we share the same language, the same love of cricket, and many of the same cultural and literary traditions So I thin it should be a natural relationshi It is in many ways a natural relationshi but I don’t think we’ve invested as much in it as we should there’s always a case to be doing more diplomatically, strategically and commercially with India PL: Dave, you gave me a segue into a number of issues with that, but I’ll come back to them in a while. I’d like to talk a bit about local issues first. Internal affairs in your own party at the moment are grabbing the headlines for all the wrong reasons – there’s back-stabbing, destabilising, bullying, the women are rebelling. Why should the people of Wentworth vote for you? DS: hy I’m getting into olitics awan,

I agree people in the public are unhappy about the news they see coming out of Canberra, the internal party games, the intrigues, the inside of politics www.indianlink.com.au

The Sharma family

is that I agree eo le in the ublic are unhappy about the news they see coming out of Canberra, the internal party games, the intrigues, the inside of politics. They’re wanting to see more of the government working for the people responding to their needs, delivering for them. And certainly talking to voters in Wentworth, they want to see a government addressing issues they’ve identified and challenged, and dealing with that I believe the new leadership team in the government in Canberra has made a very good start. The new prime minister, the new treasurer, the new deputy prime minister, the other ministers, I do believe, are doing well in addressing the challenges and issues of riority and concern to ustralians nd I want to be art of that I want to hel raise the tone of the debate in Canberra, get the government to focus more on the people, and get politics focused more on the people and less focused on politicians. PL: In an article we did on you some time ago, when you were appointed as Australian Ambassador to Israel, you had said, “My appointment proves that Australia is a meritocracy and even the highest positions are available to all comers.” There is a lot of debate on quotas in politics at the moment. What are your views on the meritocracy vs quotas? DS: Well it wouldn’t surprise you awan, to learn that I’m a big believer in meritocracy I thin my story you referred to there, to go from being a migrant in Australia to an ambassador for Australia within a single generation, is remarkable

and I thin ustralia is erha s the only country in the world in which that sort of a ourney would be ossible I thin it’s one of the great strengths of Australia that we assess people on their merits and on the content of their character. We don’t need to assign them on the basis of labels or articular attributes I’ve got three young daughters and I want them to have all the o ortunities that I’ve had o en to me, o en to them as well I certainly want them to be able to succeed in whatever their chosen rofession is ut I’ve also always taught them that they should be assessing other people not on the basis of labels or the categories they belong to, but as individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses and with their own character, with their own integrity hat’s what I very much believe in. Now the Liberal Party does need to do better in terms of female representation, not only in the parliament but in the senior rankings of the party, and at the state and the federal level, I’m firmly of that view. But we’ve also always been a arty and ustralia has always been a country about assessing individuals on their merits and I thin we need to ee that firmly in mind as well. PL: So is there a solution to get more women into the Liberal Party? DS: I don’t thin uotas are the solution to that I thin we need to be loo ing at everything across the board, and to how we encourage more recruitment of women into the party, into the senior ranks of the membership, into the parliamentary wing of the party, and making sure they find it a

We need to find a way to make sure we balance the supply of migration with the demands that Australia has, and find a better way to match those welcoming lace to be members I thin the solution needs to be a bottom up one. PL: Right, so it’ll take time to evolve? DS: oo , it will ta e time but I thin that we do need to do better there, and I believe the rime minister and others very much recognise this challenge It’s not going to be able to be fixed overnight, but we need to start moving in the right direction and I believe we are PL: Moving on to other things, it’s expected that there will be pressure mounted on from One Nation and others for an enquiry into population and immigration. What are your views on immigration and multiculturalism? DS: My father was a migrant to Australia and Australia has been built upon the success of migration… PL (interjecting): I believe your family was the only listing of ‘Sharma’ in the phone book in the 1960s…? DS: My father tells me the story that when we first moved to Australia, yes, we were the only Sharmas listed in the White Pages of Sydney…

PL: … I understand that today, in certain areas of Sydney, there are more Singhs than Browns in the phone book. DS (laughing): That doesn’t surprise me! oo , I thin every generation of newly arrived migrants to Australia has brought new s ills and strength to the country and strength to the fabric of our society and have integrated well into Australia and certainly made a great contribution to ustralia I thin the recent wave of Indian migration particularly since the ‘90s when it really started to happen has made an immense contribution to Australia. So I su ort ustralia continuing to be a country which is welcoming to migrants It does well in integrating migrants into the multicultural fabric of our society, and it has a non discriminatory olicy towards migration I would say though that we must recognise that there has been some degree of public unease about the rate of Australia’s population growth in recent decades, a decade or so. But it’s not so much about the population growth, but about the pressures on things like >

OCTOBER 2018 13

COVER STORY

Left: Graduating from Cambridge Above: In Papua New Guinea

> infrastructure, roads, schools, housing, housing affordability I thin we need to find a way to make sure the migration is matched better to the needs of Australia. We’ve been talking in recent days about making sure migrants go to the areas where they are most needed, where their skills are most needed. We know parts of regional ustralia states or cities aside from Sydney or elbourne are desperately looking for new workers and families and more skilled professionals to come there. We need to find a way to make sure we balance the supply of migration with the demands that Australia has, and find a better way to match those. PL: But keep the supply as is? DS: oo , I thin that should always be assessed on a case by case basis. The immigration intake is anywhere from the 150,000 – 250,000 mark a year, and historically that’s been about where we have been ut I thin we should always be looking to fine tune and adjust the skills mix, the mix of humanitarian intake versus the skilled migration intake and the family reunion intake. And we also need to be cognisant of Australia’s own population growth driven by the birth rate of Australian citizens and find a way to manage it I thin ustralia will continue to be a successful migrant country but we need to make sure it’s not just about the numbers we take in, it’s about how we handle those people when they arrive ma ing sure they’ve got obs and communities to go to, and that the infrastructure is there to support them. PL: It’s going to be a difficult magic pudding to put together. DS: Yes it will be. These things aren’t easy but Australia has been doing this well now for many decades. You always need to fine tune policies and make adjustments based on a range of factors and be prepared to

do so. You can’t get a range of policies and set them in stone ut I thin we have been successful at this in the ast and I’ve got no reason to doubt that we’ll continue to be successful. PL: There have been some reports in the Australian Financial Review and the ABC about the role the media played in the political life of your predecessor Malcolm Turnbull. In fact he alluded to this himself. What are your thoughts on when the media, rather than being reporters, become players in the game itself? DS: awan, I don’t thin I want to comment on that too much I am very focused on my own campaign in Wentworth which will be a very tough fight as you mentioned in the lead up. The media in a free society like Australia or India lays an im ortant role in the political debate and public discourse in the country. We’ve got a very free and vibrant media here in Australia and they’ll continue to play an important role. But ultimately, politics is about the consent of the governed about the ublic and the voting ublic and that’s certainly what I’m focused on in my cam aign, convincing the people of Wentworth that I’m the best candidate to re resent them PL: Dave, let’s talk a bit about your Indian links. Do you know your name Devanand brings to mind a Bollywood heartthrob of the 1950s? DS: I do, that’s e actly who I was named after. My father named me after him. Dad was an aspiring film star in London in the ‘50s and ‘60s but his parents as good Indian arents told him to give u that sort of stuff, to focus instead on becoming a lawyer, which he truly did. PL: So he understands the issues of changing careers to achieve your dreams. DS: es he’s res onsible for my name he’s a very big fan of Dev Anan

If people are frustrated (with the state of our politics at the moment), and I can understand they are, then, do something and become active – get involved 14 OCTOBER 2018

PL: Have you seen any of Dev Anand’s movies? DS: I haven’t watched a movie in full but I’ve seen some cli s on outube PL: Do you see a bit of yourself in him, you know, the tall gangliness, the dialogue delivery…? DS: I’m not sure if I do I wouldn’t be so immodest as to claim it I’ll leave that to others. PL: An Indian personality that has inspired you? DS: To my mind, Gandhi is one of the most ins iring Indians, with his movement of non violent resistance that he used to liberate India Sunil avas ar, the cric eter, I now he’s not as well nown these days but he was a fabulous cricketer, a great role model for leadership. And then of course my father and his family as well who came to rinidad and obago in the est Indies as migrants in the late 19th century and worked hard and saved and established a small business and sent my father, who is the youngest of nine children, off to ondon to receive a formal education. Their values of hard work and the importance they put on education, and on self reliance, these are values that have very much informed my own approach to life. PL: Read any books by Indian writers? DS: I’m a big fan of S ai aul, a dias ora Indian is boo A House for Mr Biswas was about his own childhood and modelled loosely upon his father and his own frustrations as an as iring Indian writer in rinidad I really en oyed that book: it helped me understand my own father’s childhood in Trinidad and Tobago. ther than him there’s rundhati oy I thin Indian authors are some of the best out there in the English language at the moment PL: Tendulkar or Bradman? DS: ell I guess I’ve seen endul ar lay, radman I’ve only ever seen on re lays If I have to choose the best batsman, I’d have to go for Brian Lara though, a Trinidadian and a est Indian I did see him lay, and I thin he is one of the most fabulous cricketers of his generation, and certainly of the modern era. PL: Priyanka Chopra and Nicole Kidman? DS: I’m more familiar with the wor of icole idman, but I wouldn’t ic favourites.

PL: Ever been to India? DS: es but I haven’t s ent long enough I’ve s ent much more time in rinidad and Tobago where most of my father’s family is I am intending at some oint to ma e a long tri to India and get to now the country much better than I do PL: What’s your favouring order at an Indian restaurant in Sydney? Your boss, the current PM, answered that question here on Indian Link Radio as ‘Sco-mo-sas’. DS (laughing): id he I always li e a ogan osh I also li e a chic en vindaloo, the s icy one I love Indian flatbreads naan, garlic naan, cha attis and rotis My oldest daughter Diana has got quite a taste for spicy food. So she’s signed up. The younger two still need to have their tastebuds acclimatised. But they all enjoy dal. My dad makes them dal in the winter and they’ll always enjoy a cup. And of course they all like basmati rice. PL: Introduce them to butter chicken that’s the easiest way to get them across the line. DS: I agree butter chic en is the best introduction for children! DS: Finally, Dave, your message for Indian Australians who may be having a very jaundiced view of Australian politics at the moment? DS: I’d say to them that I can understand their jaundiced views. And to get involved would be my message to them. Play a part. Indian ustralians ma e a tremendous contribution to Australia and have over the last few decades Increasingly, we should be seeing Indian ustralians in public life and not just in the commercial s here and as rofessionals I would li e to see more Indian ustralians getting involved in ublic life I was one of the first Indian ustralian ambassadors, li e eter arghese who is also a leading light in the Indian ustralian community ut that’s the way we help improve politics in Australia. By people getting specifically involved So if eo le are frustrated, and I can understand they are, then, you know, do something and become active. Join the Liberal political party, support your local member, put your views forward on issues. That’s what politics is all about and what it should be about im roving the lives of people. We can only get better politics if we get better citizens involved.

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OCTOBER 2018 15

2018 ELECTIONS Sankat Mochan Samiti

More grants announced in lead up to election Daniel Andrews reiterates commitment to multicultural communities

s we continue to track the re election romises in the lead u to ictorian State elections, the Andrews Labor Government has made another series of commitments recently.

Multicultural media

In a recent announcement made at Parliament House, Premier Daniel Andrews pledged an additional $500,000 for Multicultural Media Small Grants if abor is re elected in ovember e also announced that the current 5% advertising budget that the Government is required to spend on multicultural media would not include SBS Television. “SBS will continue to receive our support separately however it will no longer take away bulk of the amount from this budget,” the Premier said. “This change means that advertising budget can be spread more widely on other multicultural media outlets.” The Premier added that a similar commitment towards regional media would ensure that large networ s li e in

would not swallow bulk of the allocated budget. Andrews took the opportunity to thank the multicultural media representatives present for their ongoing contributions and their part in enhancing civil discourse. The premier was speaking at a roundtable discussion held at the aucus room in ictorian arliament recently ccording to him, the ictorian Labor Government will never get into any preferring agreement with parties like One Nation. “The politics we practise will never be in any arrangement with any extreme elements; we are not going into any deals with them. They cannot be part of our political discourse,” he said. He continued to praise migrant parents and grandparents for their courage and sacrifices made to ensure that their children are given endless possibilities. “These parents work so hard with a sense of purpose and aim to provide their children with the best future,” said the Premier. I than them for their res ect, faith and joy in celebration of family,” he added in conclusion.

Sikh community

16 OCTOBER 2018

Multicultural media

Sankat Mochan Samiti temple

The Premier visited the Sankat Mochan Samiti temple in Huntingdale in September, to announce the approval of a $556,000 grant to build a multipurpose community centre in Monash. He committed to a further $500,000 towards the project if Labor comes back into power. The announcement was made during the 10th anniversary celebration of the San at ochan Samiti S S S S is a not for rofit s iritual and social welfare organisation, dedicated to help individuals, families and communities in critical need. SMS volunteers were present to welcome the Premier and other dignitaries with traditional Indian fanfare Shawls and samosas were on offer, along with a queue of people wanting photos with the Premier. He, of course, was happy to oblige. With the support of Steve Dimopoulos, Member for Oakleigh, SMS had submitted

the proposal for funds to create an Indian community centre in the South East. The grant was approved under the ulticultural ommunity Infrastructure Program and the centre will be used for events, festivals and other community activities. “This investment will provide a dedicated s ace for ictorians of Indian heritage to come together and celebrate their culture and traditions with pride,” the Premier said on the occasion.

Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Sangh Centre

According to an announcement made by Robin Scott, Minister for Multicultural ffairs the elbourne Shwetambar ain Sangh Centre will receive $230,000 for refurbishment of its community centre. This funding will come through the ictorian overnment’s ulticultural ommunity Infrastructure und I offers grants to culturally diverse

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LABOR PLEDGES FOR INDIAN COMMUNITY > Aged care $14.5 million > Multicultural media $500,000 > Sankat Mochan Samiti $556,000 > Shwetambar Jain Sangh Centre $230,000 > Guru Nanak Jayanthi $200,000

communities across ictoria to su ort the building, u grading and fit out of community infrastructure. The community centre is located in Moorabbin where a grand scale project is underway. Construction for a proposed MSJS Centre and Shikharbandhi Jinalay is expected to begin in December this year. According to President Nitin Doshi, it will be an ideal place to keep Jainism alive and thriving for current and future generations in Melbourne. The MSJS, founded in September 2007, is a not for rofit community grou of ain families in elbourne It aims to romote the philosophy and teachings of Jainism among the growing population of Jains in Melbourne through various religious/ cultural activities. he inister for ulticultural ffairs Robin Scott said, “This funding will strengthen the Indian community participation in our vibrant multicultural society and have an enduring impact on the character and infrastructure of our state.”

\Funds for Guru Nanak Jayanthi Celebrations

In another round table discussion held recently with the Sikh community of Melbourne, Premier Daniel Andrews made further funding announcements. ccording to him a re elected abor Government will provide $200,000 to support the celebration of 550th Birthday anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru and founder of the Sikh faith. The Premier met with representatives of the Sikh Community under the banner of Si hs ustralia Strategy rou S S in his o ce in reasury lace A grant of $700,000 was also announced for ictorian Si h urudwara ouncil’s aisa hi festival celebrations to be held at ederation S uare ne t year aisa hi is a celebration of the birth of Khalsa and the start of the harvest season in un ab In elbourne it is held in ril at ederation S uare with a number of Sikh activities, showcasing Sikh culture, history and traditions. he aisa hi fund is in addition to the $100,000 promised by the Andrews Labor Government towards the 32nd Annual Australian Sikh Games, to be held in Melbourne in April 2019. The Australian Sikh Games is one of the biggest Sikh sporting events with teams competing from all across Australia along with New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, UK, Malaysia and other countries. eams com ete in different sports and around 3000 athletes and sportspeople are likely to participate. The day event is e ected to draw over spectators in 2019.

“Labor recognises that in every way our Si h communities have made ictoria better, stronger and fairer,” said the Premier Daniel Andrews. “With these investments, we’ll celebrate those many contributions and mark one of the most important days in the Sikh faith.” The Premier was presented with a framed photo of the Golden Temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib. The Golden Temple, located in the city of Amritsar in Punjab, is the holiest Gurdwara and the most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism.

he Premier has been on a “cash splash” in the lead up to the 24 November elections, announcing funds for new initiatives and upgrades in a whole host of services and sectors. As

regards the Indian community, he seems to have covered many significant pockets – aged care, multicultural media, Hindus, ains, Si hs It remains to be seen how these promises will be delivered, and how they will benefit communities if put into ractice he Indian recinct romise made at the 2014 election did see some progress – but the practical implications of enforcement have been confounding. he andenong ouncil for e am le has shelved plans for a Gandhi statue after it revealed results of a large scale survey that showed respondents were not in favour: of those that said no, were of Indian background). While the raft of promises made for the Indian community this time round seem positive, it remains to be seen how they will translate in action. Preeti Jabbal and Simmi Singh

OCTOBER 2018 17

WHAT’S ON STAGE Flute and Fusion with Amar Oak Sat 6 Oct (3:00pm – 7:00pm) Renowned flautist Amar Oak at Karralyka Centre Mines Rd, Ringwood East. Details 0435 744 754. Natya Samarpanam Sat 6 Oct (6:00pm – 8:30pm) Inaugural concert of Kala Vidhya School of Dance showcasing young talents. Held at Rowville Performing Arts Centre, Humphrey’s way, Rowville. Details Kannan 0425 805 056 and Suganthy 0432 042 696. Melbourne Tabla School concert Sun 7 Oct (3:00pm – 4:30pm) Celebrate 10 years of the Melbourne Tabla School with group performances by students and staff who will present traditional repertoire. Held at The Oratory, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford. Details 0423 145 447. Indian classical vocal Sun 7 Oct (6.00pm – 9.00pm) Vocalist Aneka Srinivasan presents, alongside Sri Sridhar Chari on mridangam and Murali Kumar on violin. Rowville Performing Arts Centre, Humphreys Way, Rowville. Ustad Tari Khan Sat 13 Oct (7.00pm onwards) Tabla player and vocalist Ustad Tari Khan live in concert at Box Hill Community Arts Centre. Details 0420 714 191. East Meets West: A music and dance extravaganza Sat 20 Oct (6.00pm – 9.30pm) Innovative fusion presented by artistes and collaborators of the Academy, Sruthi-Laya Kendra and guest artistes. Venue Rowville Performing Arts Centre Humphreys Way, Rowville. Details 0411 321 556. Odissi recital: Arpan by Madhavi Mudgal 26 and 27 Oct (7.30pm – 10.00pm) Sam Goraya presents legendary Odissi exponent Madhavi Mudgal in Arpan, at The Lawler, Southbank Theatre, 140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank. Proceeds will help underprivileged artists as well as help artistic exchange between India and Victoria. Details www.samgoraya.com Odissi Intensive with Madhavi Mudgal 28 – 31 Oct Monica Singh Sangwan of Sohamasmi presents an Odissi intensive with legendary Odissi exponent Madhavi Mudgal, at Dancehouse North Carlton, 150 Princes StCarlton North. Details 03 9347 2860

18 OCTOBER 2018

Stand Up Comedy Sat 13 Oct Comedians Varun Thakur and Kunal Kamra at Malvern Town Hall, 311 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern. Details 0413 780 787 FESTIVAL Garba Night Sat 6 Oct (7:00pm onwards) Patidar Samaj of Victoria invites you to Garba night at Oakleigh Recreation Centre, 2a Park Rd, Oakleigh, Victoria. Details 03 8567 0333. Bollywood Dandiya with Isheta Sarckar and Shazahn Padamsee Sat 6 Oct (7.00pm – 11.00pm) Western Gujju Inc and Popular Events present Bollywood Dandiya at Westgate Indoor Sports Cnr Grieve Pde & Doherty’s Rd, Altona. Details 0433 550 502 BAV Durga Puja Sat 13 Oct Bengali Association of Victoria presents Durga Puja at Serbian Sports Centre, 318-322 Perry Rd, Keysborough. Details www. bavwebsite.org.au MELBA Durga Pujo 13-14 Oct Melbourne Bengali Association presents Durga Pujo at Werribee Primary School, 2 Deutgam St, Werribee. Details 0408 771 604 / 0408 500 637 BSM Durgotsav Fri 19 Oct - Sun 21 Oct Bengali Society of Melbourne presents Durgotsav at Woodville Primary School, 33-57 Warringa Cres, Hoppers Crossing. Details www.bsm.org.au BPCSV’s Durga Puja Fri 19 Oct - Sun 21 Oct Bengali Puja and Cultural Society of Victoria presents Sree Sree Durga Puja, at Hungarian Community Centre, 760 Boronia Rd, Wantirna. Details bpcsv.org Dussehra Dandiya Raas Mon 22 Oct Rhythm Musical Group present Manish Patel in Dandiya raas, at Encore Event Centre, 80 Derrimut Road, Hoppers Crossing. Details 0430 355 447 5th Karwa Chauth Mela Sun 28 Oct (2.00pm onwards) Sri Kali Shaktipeeth Mandir (Craigieburn Rd W, Craigieburn) presents Karwa Chauth. Competitions include ‘Beautiful Suhagan’ and ‘Darkest Mehandi’. Professional photographer. Details 0434 005 434 Whittlesea Festival of Lights Sun 28 Oct (12 noon – 9.00pm) Venue Council Grounds, Ferres Boulevard, South Morang. Details 0401 623 656

ACADEMIA PhD scholarship for project at La Trobe University Professor Angela Taft is offering a PhD scholarship to work on the HARMONY project at La Trobe University. It’s a controlled trial of general practice intervention to control domestic violence in migrant communities. For details, email ann. wilson@latrobe.edu.au. Applications close 31 October. Australia India Institute’s Question Mark series Thur 11 Oct (6.00pm onwards) Dr Scott Fitzgerald, Senior Lecturer in the Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Perth presents How is India shaping platform capitalism communication and culture? Venue: Theatre 1, Alan Gilbert Building, University of Melbourne, Carlton. Details www.aii.unimelb.edu.au FUNDRAISER The Great Australian Curry Challenge The Great Australian Curry is Opportunity International’s annual fundraising campaign where families across Australia are invited to cook a curry, share it with friends and raise funds to help families journey out of poverty. Opportunity uses the funds to provide families in India, Indonesia and the Philippines with small loans to build businesses, earn regular incomes, educate their children and break the cycle of poverty in which their families have been trapped for generations. Opportunity’s microfinance lending partners are assisting 5.8 million families in predominantly rural and remote areas by providing financial inclusion and support, including loans of a few hundred dollars each, to work their way out of poverty. To get involved, head to www. au.opportunity.org and set up a fund-raising page. Invite your friends, family or colleagues along to enjoy your curry and show their support by donating through your fundraising page. You can share a spice night at home, host a curry cook-off at work or let the professionals do their thing by heading out to enjoy a curry at a restaurant. MISC Boroondara White Ribbon Day Wed 31 Oct (11.00am – 1.15 pm) Stand up, speak up and act to prevent men’s violence against women. Author and advocate against men’s violence Tarang Chawla presents the keynote address at Hawthorn Arts Centre, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn. Details 03 9278 4898

Aus International Kabbadi Cup 2018 Sun 21 Oct Participation expected from Australia, India, Paki, Kenya, USA, UK, NZ. Venue: Kinghts Stadium, Lot 2 Somers St, Sunshine North. Details 0424 150 132 Victoria’s South Asian community urged to take the government’s free bowel cancer screening test Many Australians die of bowel cancer every week, but most cancers could be cured if we find them early. Almost all bowel cancers can be cured if we find them in time. We can find them early if people do the free at-home test. The Australian Government sends the at-home test every two years to the homes of people aged 50-74. Unfortunately, many people don’t do this test and are putting their lives at risk. Currently, less than half of the people who receive the test actually do it. We also know that people from the South Asian community participate a lot less than the general Victorian population. Anyone aged between 50 and 74 can do the free at-home bowel cancer test, and everyone is urged to do it when it arrives in their mailbox. Bowel cancer can grow even if you feel well, and that is why doing the test is so important – even if you feel fine. The home screening test is easy, clean and free, and doing the test could save your life Do the free test when it’s mailed to your home. Details Cancer Council Victoria, www.cancervic.org.au The Australian Parliament House turns 30 Sat 6 Oct (9.00am-5.00pm) The Australian Parliament House in Canberra is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an Open Day. There will be plenty to do, see, experience and eat! Some of the activities are: Yoga on the lawn; go behind the scenes; see the Senate and the House of Representatives Chambers up close; chat to some of our parliamentarians; try your hand as the Sergeant at Arms in a parliamentary role-play; channel your inner politician in the intense glare of the cameras; see LEGO Parliament House by Brickman; hear from journalist Paul Kelly at the inaugural Speaker’s Lecture; help put the AFP dogs through their paces; enjoy a BBQ in one of the pretty courtyards. For free bus pick up service and other details: www.aph.gov.au

To add your event email media@indianlink.com.au

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COMMUNITY

In aid of leukodystrophy Community organisation fund raises for rare genetic disordernities BY CARL BUHARIWALA

LEUKODYSTROPHY FACT FILE classical songs and dance routines under guidance from renowned teachers and leading institutions in ictoria and India he three hour concert included Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam dance numbers, Carnatic vocal and instrumental performances, Hindustani instrumental and Indo estern fusion resentations Attendees witnessed performers of all ages demonstrating their soulful and rhythmic musical capabilities. Graham Watt MP commended the organisers, noting “the vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers all showcased incredible talent.” It was an e cellent well organised concert,” he added. he remier of ictoria, aniel Andrews MP, who could not be in attendance, penned his praise for Shirdi Sai Sansthan elbourne Inc I than Shirdi Sai Sansthan Melbourne for your generosity in raising money and awareness for such an importance cause.

n behalf of the ictorian overnment, I wish you a memorable and successful evening.” I would li e to than all attendees, donors, performers, and volunteers for their efforts to hel develo and roduce this ama ing concert , r alob noted in his closing remarks. “Leukodystrophy Australia will use the funds to acquire life su ort e ui ment, fund medical treatment for patients and support their objectives,” he explained. Shirdi Sai Sansthan elbourne Inc wishes to encourage other community organisations to host charity events to help those in need with the support they require. or e am le, in early Se tember , the Temple raised $6,000 for those affected by the erala loods when they held the annual nam estival The event was graced by the presence of many dignitaries including staff from Leukodystrophy Australia.

• Leukodystrophy is a degenerative disease of the white matter in the brain. The word itself comes from the Greek leuco meaning white, dys meaning abnormal and troph meaning growth. • There are some forty different types of leukodystrophies, all caused by the imperfect growth or development of the myelin sheath, the fatty covering that acts as an insulator around nerve fibres • Symptoms include hyperirritability and hypersensitivity to the environment, and physical signs such as spasticity including muscle rigidity and a backwards-bent head. Ataxia and epilepsy are also common and there could be a decrease in or loss in vision and hearing. • Treatment methods have included Stem cell transplants and gene therapy • The 1992 film Lorenzo’s Oil based on the true story ofa boy suffering from Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), brought much awareness about the condition.

Photos: Minesh Parikh

piritual organisation Shirdi Sai Sansthan elbourne Inc has raised $10,000 to help support research, support services and advocacy provided by Leukodystrophy Australia. This was done via a benefit concert titled Soulful Rhythms, featuring local youth artists erforming Indian and Indo estern classical songs, dances and compositions. The event was held on 23 September at Wesley College, and attracted over 250 people. Among the attendees was Sr Julie Thomas OAM, the founder of Leukodystrophy Australia. She noted her appreciation to the organisers and thanked everyone for their support. She launched the foundation in 1992, to provide aid, support and information to patients and families. Leukodystrophies are a group of rare, progressive, metabolic, genetic diseases that affect the brain, s inal cord and often the peripheral nerves. The diseases are degenerative disorders and lead to a slow deterioration in many of the body’s neurological functions. There is currently no cure for this life threatening condition and world wide research is making advances into earlier detection methods and more accurate diagnoses. Leukodystrophy Australia fills some very important needs, particularly in assisting individuals and families im acted by different ty es of leukodystrophy. The President of Shirdi Sai Sansthan elbourne Inc aresh alob observed, It is vital that we continue to raise awareness and encourage support for eo le suffering from leu odystro hy eu odystro hy ustralia is not a well known organisation and we need to help its members perform its important functions.” The event featured budding, developing and accomplished local artists from Melbourne and Sydney who have learned

OCTOBER 2018 19

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MUSIC

Drumming to his own beat Sam Evans has just been awarded Australia’s first PhD in tabla

BY USHA R ARVIND

hen Sam Evans first encountered the tabla in India, he claims it blew him away. “I always played drum kits as a child, and at about 18, I began to study the drumming traditions of other cultures,” he told Indian Link. “I travelled to Europe and Africa, and when I spent six months in India I found the tabla. It had much greater repertoire, a greater level of complexity compared to other traditions. It was far more sophisticated and played in such a musical way. It was wildly different from anything I’d played before.” Today, as a contemporary musician and musicologist, Sam Evans has just been awarded a PhD by Monash University for his innovative performance research on the tabla. Completed with the prestigious Sir James McNeil Scholarship, it is the first performance-based doctorate in

22 OCTOBER 2018

Australia on an Indian instrument. “Traditionally, PhD research was a purely written pursuit, but now doctorates can include significant performance components,” Evans said. “The performance aspect is perfect for music PhDs – the final outcome is writing as well as composition and performance at the doctorate level.” For Evans, who has always been fascinated by the world of percussion, this achievement marks yet another milestone in an unusual odyssey that crisscrossed many continents, ultimately finding true purpose in India. A regular international performer of traditional Indian music and contemporary world genres, the composer, educator and researcher has ever since been working tirelessly to showcase Indian musical instruments on the Australian stage. To this end, he established the Melbourne Tabla School, which now boasts of numerous accomplished students from a range of ethnic backgrounds. “As an Australian tabla player, much

of my work has centred on integrating the tabla in the musical culture here in Australia,” the Melbourne based artiste, who teaches at numerous educational institutions, stated. “I wanted my PhD research to reflect that. In doing so, my research considered the role of the tabla in contemporary intercultural music. It looked at the musical conventions present in world music and devised ways in which the tabla could be integrated within those conventions. That required the creation of a new repertoire for the tabla that included musical elements that are not accounted for in the traditional repertoire, such as harmonic function. As performance-based research the final portfolio produced CD recordings and musical scores that document the practical application of the theoretical components contained in the thesis,” he explained.

The performance component has been released as a CD titled The Tabla Project and is available via iTunes and Bandcamp. Displaying skill and expertise, the album demonstrates the variety of ways in which the tabla can be incorporated into contemporary music ensembles that include Eastern and Western instruments. Evans enthused, “It’s an exciting time, where we are moving beyond theory only. You can now do a Bachelors or a Masters or a PhD on how to play music rather than just theorising.” Renowned for cross-cultural collaborations, he has effortlessly combined rustic and modern influences to create a distinctive musical approach. Over the past decade, Evans has divided his time between Australia and India, performing concerts as soloist and accompanist. It helps also that he felt drawn to Indian culture from early on. “I was vegetarian, I loved Indian mythology –

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there were lots of things that attracted me to India.” Given he does his bols so well, has he picked up the language as well? “My Bengali was not bad – I learnt it to an ok level, I’d say, enough to get by. And then I tried Hindi, and could not pick it up at all. It’s been one of my regrets, not gaining fluency in Bengali. I should have stuck to it and not gone towards Hindi!” Besides live shows on Indian and Australian television, national and international radio as well as at international jazz and world music festivals, Evans also lectures on Indian and world music at Monash University where he co-founded and directs the highly successful Monash World of Music Orchestra. His forays in the international scene have been largely possible through generous funding grants from the Australia Council for the Arts, the Ian Potter Foundation and Monash University, including the prestigious Sir James McNeil Scholarship. In true guru shishya parampara, Evans has dedicated his life to passing on the rich legacy he imbibed from Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. At first in India, he learnt from

anyone who would teach him as a beginner, and then with some experience under his belt, he reached out to Pt Anindo. “When I first saw him play, I thought the sound was incredible, the speed was amazing, and the depth of knowledge simply astounding,” he recalled. He has since inspired many youngsters to learn the tabla. Tapping into Melbourne’s vibrant cultural scene, he wants Australians, young and old, to share his passion. Back in 2011, Evans was instrumental in tabla being included as part of the VCE curriculum. “Now young tabla players perform traditional tabla for the final high school exams, which contributes to their university entrance score,” he pointed out. “It’s the only Indian instrument in the VCE course of study alongside other western instruments. About ten students have been through it and almost all have got high distinctions so it ranks really well. One student actually stood second in the state in music.” He has big hopes for this to pick up. Not only is he thinking of past students as assessors, but hopes to see the instrument at the school level in other states as well.

Perceiving himself as a conduit between eastern and western musical frameworks, Evans has successfully combined his skills as both performer and educator to establish a pathway for musicians playing Indian instruments, such as the tabla and the sitar, to earn performance degrees at university level in Australia. “It’s great to see Indian instruments accepted in our formal education systems these days, it’s now becoming representative of the society we live in,” he explained. His goal is now to set up a South Asian orchestra. In fact, Evans has been fascinated by the rich diversity of Indian culture, with its deep grounding in performing arts. Evans believes there is a bright future for students of Indian music in Australia as the landscape undergoes a radical shift. Meanwhile, the Melbourne Tabla School will celebrate a unique milestone of its own

shortly, as it completes a decade of existence. Today the school has a presence in different suburbs, and boasts some 60 students. “About 60% have a South Asian heritage and others are western musicians,” Evans revealed. “It presents a beautiful picture of who we are in contemporary Victoria, really.” What about girl students? “Of course we are reaching out to the girls. There’s always been a minimum 25-30% participation by women, and one year it was up to 40%. It’s much higher than that in India. They learn just the same as the men really, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t take up the tabla. In fact, of the handful of my students who are currently performing at the professional level, two are women.” As he prepares his students for the big day at the Abbotsford Convent, Evans could not be prouder. He will also perform at the upcoming Diwali Festival at Federation Square.

OCTOBER 2018 23

WOMEN

It’s time to stand up, not stand by Passive bystanders have great power to intervene in violent situations

BY ANEETA MENON

ur community cares about violence and abuse. They rarely need to be prodded to care about the 37 women in Australia who have been killed by violence this year, nor the overwhelming majority of Australian women who have experienced physical, sexual, emotional or financial violence from either their partner or a person known to them. They “Like” and Share posts and articles about gender-based violence, and they support initiatives which work to combat the impact violence has on the people who endure it. These people, it can be fairly said, do not sound like passive bystanders who enable violent abusers. Except, many of them are. Increasingly, people in our community are grappling with a heighted awareness of domestic abuse and violence, and the nuanced ways it presents, yet remain fundamentally unsure or unwilling to respond to it. This has resulted in a frustrating sociocultural atmosphere which continues to permit abusers and discredit victims.

What is a bystander?

In the context of bullying and violence, bystanders are the people who either witness the problem happen or hear it about it afterwards. Often assuming a passive role, bystanders tend to think of themselves as neutral entities in the ‘drama’ of others. This is rarely the case. Whilst some bystanders encourage or incite abuse by openly goading and supporting abusers, the vast majority are passive bystanders. The Centre for Education’s “Eye on Bullying” program explains, “Most bystanders passively accept bullying by watching and doing nothing. Often without realising it, these bystanders also contribute to the problem.”

How come people don’t speak up?

Most commonly, people come to know about abuse impacting those in their immediate lives either from first-hand experience (rare, as most family abuse takes place behind closed doors) or through the disclosure of someone who has experienced this abuse. Largely, we are inclined to believe our friends and families when they disclose abuse to us, however the question of ‘what really happened’ and the notion that ‘there are two sides to every story’ often permeates silently in the room. Additionally, there is the stereotype of the ‘crazy-ex girlfriend” trope, which disproportionately demonises women. Oftentimes after the dissolution of an

24 OCTOBER 2018

abusive relationship, men are freer to circulate stories about the women with whom they were involved, whereas women are bound by family violence interventions, other legal orders or, grimly, they have been silenced by death. When stakes are this high, it is understandable that the instinct is to distance one’s self from the situation. Research shows that the most common reason passive bystanders do not intervene are: • They think, “It’s none of my business.” • They fear retribution or becoming another victim. • They feel powerless to stop the abuser and don’t know what to do. • They don’t want to draw attention to themselves. In subcontinental culture, the pressure to remain silent and removed is immensely greater. The impetus is greatly on the victim to bear the abuse, often as a familial duty, rather than to speak out and seek support. Attitudes are changing in this regard, and more and more women are leaving abusive relationships, however the preference for silence endures.

Why is this a problem?

Passive bystanders prop up abusers by providing them with the acceptance they crave. Many abusers display narcissistic tendencies and seeking approval from peers is paramount. Passive bystanders provide this very thing by condoning their behaviour and allowing it to continue. As the victim incurs abuse, passive bystanders give social acceptance to the abusers. Everything from actively continuing relationships without a word to more discreet connections, such as maintaining “Facebook friendships” all send the message to abusers that their behaviour is fine, and they are fine to go on with their lives as though nothing is amiss. It is this silence which leaves the abuser free to continue the abuse.

What can you do instead of standing by?

Speaking up is hard. Confronting friends and relatives is hard. It is even harder if they are your elders, or people with more social and economic power than you. It can be daunting, often because abusers either are outwardly intimidating or so charismatic and lovely that it would seem

preposterous that they could be abusive. However, to create a society that is safer for everyone, we must stand up to abuse. You can do this by: • Cutting off ties with the abuser, even connections on social media, whilst seemingly fickle, inversely affetcs the abuser’s sense of self and community acceptance. Saying, “I will be involved with this person no more” sends a strong message that you believe their actions are intolerable and sends an equally strong message of support to the victim. • Ask yourself, “Do I take the courageous step of saying something when my loved ones are suffering?” “Do I even talk about any of this stuff at all?” • Believe victims and follow through. Offer support, educate yourself on ways to provide support and encourage victims to seek assistance if they are in danger. Check in on them again later. Passive bystanders have great power, in their masses, to intervene in situations and call out behaviour before it escalates. And as the old adage goes, with great power comes great responsibility.

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LGBTQ

For culture, for queer SIDDHARTH SHARMA on being openly

gay in the South Asian community

nlike most young Indians, for me, coming out to my parents was no big deal. Yes, there were issues, but nothing compared to what many others faced. I’m glad for India’s decision to once and for all decriminalise homosexuality not because I have a personal agenda, but because it will allow millions of Indians to finally live and love with dignity and openness. I have always been confident about both, being Indian and being gay, but it bothered me that hardly anyone spoke specifically about being gay in the South Asian community here, which is how FOBGAYS+ (Friends and Family of Brown Gays, Lesbian, Queer, Transgender, Axesual and Intersex+ people) came about. The way that most other LGBTIQ+ organisations work is in a bit more of an Anglo-Saxon context, and tend to focus on the individual’s rights. There’s more focus on protesting and campaigning. Activism obviously needs to be active, but it doesn’t

need to be harmful and it doesn’t need to be aggressive. And in our South Asian community, shouting doesn’t work. What works is slowly introducing people to things in a way that celebrates cultural context: casual chats over chai. And so, that’s what FOBGAYS+ tries to do: break the cycle of misunderstanding, fear and intolerance. I worked with my cousin Giti and brother Siddhant to create the organisation, and the reactions I got from people were mixed. Some people were very nonchalant about it. Other people were awkward. Someone told my parents to go take a parenting class, saying, ‘Don’t worry, we can fix this’. But it wasn’t the only challenge. There’s a lot of racial discrimination within the gay community and South Asians tend to sit at the bottom of the pyramid in terms of perceived attractiveness. So we’re trying to flip that discrimination based on race and show that we’re proud of our culture. I want to send a message to the wider queer community: we are here, we are

Are we there yet? Indian uni student CHRIS LEWIS* is not quite ready to come out of the closet

“H

istory owes an apology to the members of LGBTQ+ community and their families…” When Supreme Court Judge Indu Malhotra said this in her judgement while decriminalising homosexuality, I knew that a new chapter in my life had just begun. Her statement reminded me of the millions of gay men and women in our country who have suffered mental, emotional and physical abuse for just being their true self. I agree that this apology has been delayed by almost a century: will it right all the wrongs? No. But is it welcome? Certainly. When news broke that the Supreme Court of India was ready to present its statement on the constitutional validity

of Section 377, I was confident that this time India would be on the right side of history. It made a mistake once in 2013. It would not repeat it. This time, during all the hearings it was heartening to see that the court was sympathetic to the LGBTQ+ community. Following the verdict, rainbow colours took over my social media feed. Our moment had finally arrived. Or had it? I began thinking: how will this change my life? I call myself an activist. For the last two years, I’ve been working in India around issues of climate change and human rights. I was proud of my work, and so were my friends and family. So when I decided to uproot my life and move to Australia for further studies,

South Asian and we are part of this movement. And it’s also a message to the South Asian community: yes, we do support queer people, but we also support our culture. To that end, my team and I decided to use symbols that would resonate with everyone. We’ve used colours that are reminiscent of Indian streetscapes. The elephant is a symbol of being proud. And the The Golden Girls, for its theme song ‘Thank You For Being A Friend’ - it was perfect for what we were trying to do. We’ve only just started to reach out to the Islamic community, talking to people who are both Muslim and pro-gay rights. One person was Greens MP Dr Mehreen Faruqi, an active Muslim who spoke out in support of the Same-Sex Marriage Bill in Australia. I think it’s imperative for people to tell their stories. For any cause, you need to

have people with their own experiences to come out and be willing to share. And unless a story is told in a particular language, it doesn’t exist in that language. It’s been so important in communicating the experience of queerness in a way that is relatable and accessible to the Hindispeaking community. The court’s decision is a huge step in that direction and the judgement will give people courage to speak up. It’s a huge opportunity to create a solid foundation for equality. The pride parades, which have been going on for a few years, are getting bigger every time. When you have more groups and people marching for action and calling attention to an issue, you create a little bit more pressure on the government to do something. And it puts the wheels in motion for our culture to start talking about this kind of thing. As told to Stephanie Newman

I faced a series of questions, mostly along the lines of “Why are you moving when you can make impact in India?” My answers would be bland — “to learn skills from a different country” or “the course in Australia is better than that in India”. Let’s just say these answers were mostly true. What I didn’t tell people is that I wanted to move away from my loved ones to a place where I could stop hiding my identity and live a normal life, even if for a few years. Now that I think about it, I couldn’t agree more when petitioners from IIT told the Supreme Court that the mere existence of Section 377 is causing young Indians to leave their home country and settle abroad. Every LGBTQ+ person in India wants to live a simple truth: a life where they are not fighting anyone anymore. I’m blessed that I have the privilege to make such a move, but not everyone can do this. Most people in India do not understand what decriminalisation really means. Many say that Section 377 has hardly imprisoned anyone in India for consensual gay sex. While this may be true, most don’t understand that it’s not the law that the LGBTQ+ members fear, it’s the society. And to get over this fear, we needed to first let go of Section 377. Since the time I knew I was gay, I’ve been living in fear. How would people react if they knew? Would I get beaten up? Will my friends stop talking to me? My poor teenage self could barely survive this trauma, but thankfully I got past it. For the last few years, I’ve begun to trust people, and have started to come out to

my friends — all of whom were nothing but supportive. I’ve been lucky to be in a family where my parents have never questioned or rejected my queer identity. They’re taking their time to understand me, and I’m glad that they’re part of this journey. I’ve been extremely lucky to also find a partner who treats me respectfully. I’ve been with this person for the past two years. But being a gay couple in India is not easy. My partner and I lived together in India for two years. In front of our friends, we could be like every other couple. But in public, we had to be different people. For the outside world, we were friends, colleagues, and sometimes even siblings. You see, the fear of society had the power to change the face of love. It has been two months since I’ve been in Australia. And I’m slowly getting comfortable with the idea of being my true self. I still remember the feeling of holding my partner’s hand at the airport. It felt natural… but also surreal. Moments such as these is what India’s gay community is hoping for. They may seem small, inconsequential and even run-of-the-mill to other folks, but for us, it’s a huge victory. Now that Section 377 has been scrapped in India, am I ready to come out of the closet completely? Well, I’m not sure. Society has been cruel to us, and many will still continue to fight for equal rights. A change in the law is the first big step, but we have to clear many more hurdles before we finally proclaim that we’ve arrived. Here’s hoping. *Name changed on request

OCTOBER 2018 25

WORK

High flier In this column, we look at vocations in which members of our community are involved. In this issue, Ramneek Dhillon tells us about her work with Virgin Australia My job title

Senior Cabin Crew at Virgin Australia

My educational qualification

Bachelors in Aviation, Tourism & Hospitality Management from Institute of Tourism and Future Management Trends (ITFT) Chandigarh, India

What my job entails

As a Cabin Crew team member, I am responsible for the safety, welfare and comfort of guests throughout the flight. To become a cabin crew team member, I was required to complete a training course which includes learning all the safety and emergency procedures, which we then need to update every year.

What a typical day is like

again. Once our guests have disembarked and we’ve performed all safety checks, we will then make our way to the crew room for sign off and this is where I usually check my roster too.

What is tough about my job

I think the hardest part is when I miss my family on trips away.

The positive aspects

Great workplace and rewarding career: Virgin Australia has a safe and collaborative working environment, where each and every employee is encouraged to reach their full potential. It provides you the opportunities to further spread your wings by offering you world class training and a promising career path.

The day starts off two hours prior to departure of the flight we are operating, with sign on and a pre-flight briefing. Our flight manager will provide us with all relevant information about the flight, everyone’s working positions, and any special requirements. We are also quizzed on safety, emergency and first aid. The aircraft is then checked to make sure it is neat and tidy and we welcome guests on board and direct them to their seat. We then perform our safety briefing to our guests and check the cabin to make sure it is secure before the flight departs. Inflight service then commences once the seatbelt sign is switched off. When it’s finally time to land, the captain will then turn on the seatbelt signs and we secure the cabin

Work life balance: There’s a good selection of roster bidding system to suit your lifestyle and flexibility, given our work hours are so varied.

LIGHT UP YOUR HOMES FOR DIWALI

Diwali will soon be upon us, and Melbourne’s biggest celebration is already off the rails!

Team work: I really enjoy working in such a diverse workforce, and have been able to learn a lot about different cultures since my time here. Travel: I’ve always had a love of flying and of travel. I’ve travelled so much with this job and made fantastic memories! For instance, I’ve always wanted to travel to Hong Kong and this job made my dream come true. I fly frequently on that route now. Lifelong learning opportunity: I love that

we’re constantly upgrading our skills; there are exams every six months to keep us current. We’re not only refreshing our skills but also learning about new developments in the industry, such as the new 777 (which I will be flying on to LA tomorrow!)

Advice to others who may want to enter the industry

Cabin crew are the face of the airline, so we are all expected to provide a highly polished and professional service, and always remain friendly, approachable and enthusiastic. Becoming a cabin crew team member will give you the

Celebrate India is back with its trademark Diwali competitions, culminating in that final dhamaka at Fed Square on 3 Nov. So you light up your home for Diwali every year. This year, why not win a prize for it? In a unique Facebook contest, Celebrate India invites you to deck your place up with lights.

CATEGORIES 1 Homes 2 Businesses

26 OCTOBER 2018

perfect opportunity to get away from the repetitiveness of a normal 9 to 5 job. If you have a passion for travel, dedication and commitment, then I say go for it! Every day will be different, you will learn fantastic customer service skills, become a team player and learn a lot about yourself too. For instance it amazes me that I’m able to speak comfortably with so many different people from different countries! One of my favourite parts about the job is the feeling of pride when a passenger appreciates and recognises my hard work after a long day. Ramneek spoke with Rajni Anand Luthra

HOW TO ENTER Record a maximum 60-second video showcasing your Diwali lights, and include your video message stating: What illumination for Diwali means to you.

The competition runs from Mon 1 Oct to Sun 28 Oct. Check out the terms and conditions on the Celebrate India website www.celebrateindia.org.au

Send your video via What’sApp to 0409 973 563 with the following details: > Your full name > Contact details (phone and email) > Name of business (if applicable) > Address

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BOOKS

Dragons and elephants Making sense of the tectonic shift that is causing the economic world to tip eastwards

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

he world has been transfixed by the rise and rise of China, the ‘Dragon’. There’s been a plethora of books written on it; ABC and BBC radios have broadcast a series of programmes and interviews; The Economist has brooded over how ‘we got China so wrong’, and the inimitable Kishore Mahbubani’s numerous books including The New Asian Hemisphere: the Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East have presaged a new international order. Almost all of these commentaries have made attempts to make some sense of this tectonic shift in world economic and political power. The books on the challenges and opportunities that the new China presents are far too numerous, and we cannot even begin to look into this vast and expanding literature. We thought we will get a handle on the subject by exploring some books that look at both China and India, and use the words ‘Dragon’ and ‘Elephant’ in the title (no marks for guessing which one is the elephant). Lo and behold, we found quite a few books matching that criterion. Never mind that the Indian economy is still a few decades behind China in terms of development, and of course, the Chinese leadership has haughtily elevated its own claim to the status of a global superpower as ‘manifest destiny’ and dismissed Indian claims as that of an upstart. Indeed, China has worked quite assiduously in some ways to undermine Indian claims in that regard, but that is another subject altogether. We will press on, in the hope that India’s economic growth will gather steam and catch up with China’s in the not so distant future. Many economists believe it will, so we will assume that will be the case. The first book that caught this reviewer’s eye was one by David Smith, the economics editor of The Sunday Times, called The Dragon and the Elephant: China and India in a New World Order. In a nutshell, Smith argues that the rise of China and India will be seen, in hindsight, as the defining development of the 21st

century. The world is already tipping eastwards, and Smith alerts us to the implications of a shift in global power to Beijing and Delhi. Smith’s comparisons of the two are interesting. How aggressive a superpower will China be? Will India’s growing population and economic prospects place it in a more advantageous position? The book combines sharp analysis with a highly entertaining writing style, and engages the intellectually curious reader thoroughly, even if he or she is not particularly literate in economics. The second book is called The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What It Means for All of Us, by Robyn Meredith, a journalist (Forbes magazine, Hong Kong) like Smith, but American. Like Smith’s, this book too examines the rise of the two powers and how they are reshaping the world already. The two countries have embraced capitalism and globalisation, and this has startling consequences for the world: huge buildings are going up in India, housing workers who work exclusively for US companies; huge manufacturing corridors in China produce goods for the US market; US companies employ engineers in India to design goods which are then used as blueprints and produced in China for the US market. This cycle is drawing more and more people into an integrated world economy which is benefiting everyone. Being an American, Meredith enjoins fellow Americans to take stock of the changes, understand them and adapt to the new environment. She believes the US should respond by being innovative in their job-creation strategy in the face of global competition. I was also surprised to find a monograph produced by the National Research Council in the US, titled The Dragon and the Elephant: Understanding the Development of Innovation Capacity in

GON A R D E TH HANT P E L E THE Reforms d Rural n a l ra u India Agricult ina and \ in Ch

China and India (2010) authored by Stephen Merrill, David Taylor and Robert Poole. They argue that there has been remarkable growth in innovative capabilities in a number of countries that 30 years ago were classified as developing economies. Taiwan and South Korea, followed by China and India, are the leading examples of this phenomenon. How well China and India succeed in this endeavour will have a huge bearing not only on the welfare of their own populations, but global economic welfare as well. Yet another book titled Dragon and Elephant, co-authored by Ashok Gulati and Shenggen Fan, looks at agricultural and rural reforms in the two countries. It also provides policy insights for the

mm. n Edited by ggen Fa and Shen ti la u G Ashok

continuing reform processes there and in other developing economies. Does the sequencing of reform and an agricultureled package matter? How can the two largest countries cooperate in agricultural economic development, and work together in multilateral organisations such as the World Trade Organisation, to address concerns of developing countries? These and other question are addressed in the book. Unlike others writing on the subject, Gulati and Shenggen look at ways the two giants can learn from each other.

The two countries have embraced capitalism and globalisation, drawing more and more people into an integrated world economy which is benefiting everyone OCTOBER 2018 27

28 OCTOBER 2018

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SPORT

Tick tock: Oz awaits humbled India There will be only one tour on Virat Kohli’s mind, as he ponders what could have been in England Opening up BY RITAM MITRA

s Virat Kohli looks back on his latest tour of England, he may well feel at least some degree of satisfaction - after all, having scored more than a third of his team’s runs in the Test series and putting behind himself at last his tortured past in English conditions, he has won the right to do so. Yet Kohli will be rueful too. It was, despite his personal successes, overwhelmingly a tour of “what ifs”. What if India had managed to seize the key moments in the series? What if their team selections had been more astute? What if injuries hadn’t cruelled his swing spearhead and lead spinner? Ultimately, the 4-1 scoreline flattered England, but that will give India little comfort; as Indian fans become increasingly restless with the team’s performance outside the subcontinent, so too will they begin demanding results rather than mere competition. With a tour of Australia looming large on the horizon - one which, particularly given the current state of the Australian team, has the potential to be a watershed moment for Indian cricket - the kinks need to be ironed out, fast.

Despite its woes in England, India’s batting line-up is unlikely to change materially by the time the first ball is sent down in Adelaide in December. Pujara must bat at 3, Kohli at 4, and Rahane at 5, with either Pandya or Vihari at 6. Each must bat without feeling the pressure of being dropped: an Indian Test batsman certainly does not need any more weight on his shoulders. However, at the very pointy end of the order, matters are less certain. It is one of those strange but fantastic quirks of Test match cricket that, over the course of the exhilarating highs and crushing lows of a long Test series, a team’s entire make-up can be turned quite dramatically on its head. Rahul, who began the series batting at 3 but was eventually pushed up the order, is suddenly the most assured of all opening candidates, having notched up a stunning second-innings century at The Oval, and with excellent credentials against Australia at home and abroad. Meanwhile, Vijay, who was by some distance India’s best batsman in the 2014 England tour - was discarded after just two Tests. Dhawan, who was himself dropped after the first Test, also continues to flatter to deceive in overseas Tests. Either will feel hard done by to miss out, but three cannot fit into two.

Keeping the faith

India’s main problem in Australia will be deciding who sits out between Kumar (who returns from injury), Bumrah, Sharma and Shami. Of course, India could play four quicks, but this would mean sacrificing lower-order runs, a critical commodity on the unforgiving Australian pitches. Three seamers and Pandya, too is an option - but Pandya’s tale is one of feast or famine, and India may instead opt for a more modest but reliable meal in a pure batsman. For a change, India’s spinners do not pick themselves. Ashwin’s performance in England - like his performances in Australia - left much to be desired, particularly being comprehensively out-bowled in favourable conditions at the Ageas Bowl by England’s Moeen Ali. Jadeja’s record in Australia, too, is miserable. This could mean giving left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav - who mystified the touring Australians in the previous edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy - a more extended run in the side.

A problem of plenty

Excited for the summer of cricket? We’re gearing up for the biggest party in Australia, and we want to see you there! Follow Indigo Crew on Facebook and @ indigo.crew on Instagram for exciting offers and promotions and the latest Team India updates.

The modern-day wicketkeeper must not just keep - he must score runs quickly during the good times, knuckle down and stymie batting collapses during the bad, and mix aggression with steadiness when batting with the tail. It is a role that the English keepers Bairstow and Buttler played with precision over the English summer. If there was a singular point of failure in the touring Indian side - and it is perhaps unfair to pick one - it was the performance of the team’s replacement wicketkeepers in each of the five Tests. Dinesh Karthik was nothing short of abysmal at Edgbaston and Lords, scoring 21 runs in 4 innings including two ducks. Pant, though a precocious talent, barely fared better, scoring 43 runs in his first 4 innings before a barnstorming century in the dead rubber offered a glimpse into a bright future. Once he recovers from injury, Wriddhiman Saha can be quietly confident of adding to his 3 Tests down under. At a glance, India’s fast bowling stocks have never looked healthier. It is safe to say - although impossible to prove - that never in history have four Indian seamers bowled faster than each of the opposition seamers, as was the case in Trent Bridge.

OCTOBER 2018 29

ADVERTORIAL

Merchants of Bollywood The international smash hit returns to Australian stages after a triumphant world tour

he glamour and glitter that is Bollywood returns to the Australian stages in 2018 following its worldwide success and rave reviews. The Merchants of Bollywood features a cast of more than 30 performers direct from Film City Mumbai – the home of Bollywood Cinema. This dazzling performance features songs from Bollywood blockbusters; 2,500 glittering hand-crafted costumes, and an astonishing 5,000 pieces of jewellery! A fictional story, yet based on real life, The Merchants of Bollywood will reveal to the Western audience the workings of cinema and the part it plays in the heart and soul of Indian society in an extraordinary evening

30 OCTOBER 2018

of music and dance, at the heart of which lies a heartfelt story of a young girl, her grandfather and their love of dance. Since launching The Merchants of Bollywood fifteen years ago, the show has had worldwide success playing to more than 2 million patrons, 4 sold out London shows followed by sell-out performances in the US, Europe and South East Asia. Finally The Merchants of Bollywood returns to Australia, and are very excited to present in all major capital cities the glitz, glamour, sheer spectacle, song, dance and romance that we know as ‘Bollywood’. Bangles and beads, swirling colours in costumes and sets, and high-energy music, will excite the senses in this lavish new production

that is bigger, bolder, brighter and features all the smash hit songs from the biggest Bollywood The Times, London, wrote about the show: “Their energy is electrifying, their movements suffused with a rush of joy and yet ruthlessly precise and the frenetic flow of onstage activity is almost nonstop. It’s a high octane pleasure!” A theatrical dance spectacular, The Merchants of Bollywood charts the enchanting history of the world’s largest and most prolific film industry, and a dynasty of stars that have lit its way over generations. It transcends time and is a touching tribute to the Bollywood greats of yesterday and the box-office hits of

today, complimented by the outstanding music arrangements by Salim-Sulaiman. The Merchants of Bollywood has captured the essence of India, its rich and diverse culture and its people, in a world of technicolour brilliance acclaimed by patrons and reviewers alike. The London Metro said, “Taut and buff bodies glisten…dazzle, shimmer and sparkle…the choreography and visual appeal is as slick and sexy as any MTV promo” The Birmingham Post called it an “uplifting show….a real dazzler” The Manchester Evening News declared it the “most exhilarating musical seen this year”. See ad on Page 19

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FOOD

Two punnets please Doing our bit to contain the impact on primary producers

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

oubtless God could have made a better berry (than the strawberry), but doubtless God never did. Doubtless William Butler - aka Dr Boteler, eccentric English physician of the late 1500s - loved his strawberries. And doubtless William Butler would have been pained to the core at the recent news from Australia about his favourite fruit. As the call-out gains momentum for us all to go out and buy more strawberries to help salvage the multimillion dollar industry, this column is dedicated to the fruit of the hour. There’s plenty you can do with strawberries – make them into puddings, pies, soufflés, cakes and shortcakes, not to mention preserves and jams. But the recipes provided here use them fresh – the best way to consume strawberries.

SIMPLY STRAWBERRIES

stand in the fridge for 30 minutes. Spoon into serving glasses and top with vanilla yoghurt.

Put strawberries, washed and hulled, in a large bowl. Have two smaller bowls beside it, one with sour cream (or crème freche or cream cheese) and the other with brown sugar. Let guests dip a strawberry first in the cream, and then in the sugar. Yum.

Wash and hull strawberries and slice thickly. In a large bowl, marinate strawberries in Amaretto liqueur for about 4 hours. Serve over ice cream and sprinkle with slivered almonds.

For an unusual variation of the above, replace cream with good quality balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar with powdered (confectioners’) sugar. Different, but delicious.

ALL-TIME FAVOURITES

Combine strawberries with blueberries. Sprinkle castor sugar over and let sit for five minutes to bring the juices out. Serve with double cream and chocolate dip on the side. Combine thick creamy yoghurt with honey and freshly grated nutmeg. Put strawberries in individual bowls. Pour yoghurt mixture over. Top with toasted flaked almonds. Cut up strawberries and sprinkle brown sugar over. Set aside for five minutes to bring the flavours out. Then sprinkle some lemon juice and orange liqueur over (use fresh orange juice for kids). Throw in some fresh mint leaves. Thickly slice strawberries and sprinkle a little sugar over. Add a splash of Grand Marnier and serve as is or with a pound cake. Combine caster sugar, water, lime juice and thin slices of fresh ginger in a saucepan. Simmer until the mixture reduces by half. Cool and pour over sliced, hulled strawberries. Allow to

Chocolate-coated strawberries Put 250 gms cooking chocolate into a mixing bowl. Bring to a boil ½ cup thickened cream. Pour on to the chocolates and mix till smooth. Leave aside 3-4 minutes to harden. Wash strawberries but leave the caps on. Dip the thin ends of the strawberries into the chocolate mixture. Arrange on a platter and refrigerate. Stuffed strawberries Beat 1 tub cream cheese, ½ cup castor sugar and 1 tsp almond extract until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture into a pastry bag and chill for an hour. Slit strawberries from tip to stem end leaving the base intact. Pipe cream cheese mixture into strawberries. Chill until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY DRINKS Strawberry Daiquiri Although there are many versions, here’s a simple recipe. Mix in a blender 40ml White Rum, 20ml Strawberry liqueur, 3-4 strawberries (depending on their size), 50ml lemon juice, and a cup of crushed ice.

Agua Fresca Combine 4 cups sliced strawberries with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Mash strawberries with a masher. Mix, cover with cling film and refrigerate about 4 hours to macerate. Then blend until smooth. Pour through strainer and discard pulp. Add 7 cups of chilled water. This should give you 8 serves. Smoothie Put one cup of milk (your choice of regular, soy, almond), 4 strawberries (halved) and two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a blender and blend till smooth. (Add honey to sweeten if needed).

STRAWBERRIES IN SALAD Strawberry salsa Finely dice 1 Lebanese cucumber, 1 red onion, and about half each red and yellow capsicums. Dress with 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander and 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar. Mix well and refrigerate for an hour. Just before serving, add in 250 gms strawberries, diced. With cheese and nuts Mix in strawberries with goat’s cheese and walnuts; use a dressing of choice and serve on a bed of your favourite greens. Spinach salad with strawberries Make a honey dressing by shaking together in a small jar 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Combine 1 cup thickly sliced strawberries with 1 tbsp sliced almonds and 1 small red onion, diced. Toss baby spinach leaves with honey dressing and arrange on a platter. Spoon strawberry mixture on top. OCTOBER 2018 31

TRAVEL 5

Six iconic Aussie trains Exploring Australia by rail is a unique experience if you have the time BY SANDIP HOR

he celebrated travel writer Paul Theroux once said, “I have seldom heard a train go by and not wished I was on it.” I’m sure every train aficionado will relate. In Australia, trains made an advent only in the mid-19th century. Today the country boasts some of the world’s greatest journeys on wheels that are filled with luxury, heritage, scenic splendour, romanticism and even adventure.

1 The Ghan

A national treasure, The Ghan has enthralled travellers since its inaugural journey in 1929. It continues to be a top choice for savvy travellers seeking authentic Australian adventure with all the comforts and luxury that come with travelling by rail. Covering a distance of nearly 3000 km, the trans-continental journey between Darwin and Adelaide in either direction weaves through the spectacular outback following the footsteps of pioneering Afghan cameleers. Guests travel in style with the choice of Platinum or Gold Class, both of which offer an all-inclusive package comprising of on-train accommodation in well decorated individual cabins with ensuite, premium lounge facilities, all meals and beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and immersive off-train excursions to showcase the very best the heart of the continent has to offer. This

32 OCTOBER 2018

includes exploring the scenic Katherine Gorge, city of Alice Springs, opal mining settlement of Coober Pedy, and outback towns of Marla and Manguri, depending on direction of travel.

2 Indian Pacific

Another Aussie icon, the Indian Pacific connects Sydney and Perth via Adelaide, each way covering a distance of 4352 km in 65 hours. Offering similar classes of all-inclusive travel packages like The Ghan, Indian Pacific guests explore the vast beauty of the spectacular coast-to-coast landscape between the Indian and Pacific Oceans in most impressive way. Off-train excursions include outback experiences at Rawlina and Cook, and exploration of cities like Kalgoorlie, Adelaide and Broken Hill, the birthplace of Australia’s industry giant BHP which started its journey there as Broken Hill Proprietary Company. A memorable experience of the voyage is crossing the famous Nullarbor Plain, the name Nullarbor being Latin for ‘no trees’. The 478-km stretch through a dry, desertlike, tree-less, rocky terrain features the world’s longest length of straight railway track.

3 The Overland

This bi-weekly 800-km journey in each direction provides a scenic way to travel between Melbourne and Adelaide, passing through picturesque Aussie townships of Murray Bridge, Bordertown, Nhill, Dimboola, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat and Geelong in 10.5 hours. As the journey is during the day, only seating options are available: the Red Premium category includes all meals and non-alcoholic beverages.

4 Spirit of Queensland

Travelling 1681 km between Brisbane and Cairns in 24 hours, five times a week, the Spirit of Queensland, a pride of Queensland Rail, redefines the modern train travel experience with a comfortable and convenient way to access spectacular Aussie holiday destinations in sunny Queensland like the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays, Townsville and Cairns and everywhere in between. All passengers enjoy the nostalgia of long-distance rail travel while unwinding in leather Premium Economy seats or indulging in the ample space of innovative RailBed - a conveniently spacious seat by day, lie-flat bed by night. RailBed guests can enjoy all-inclusive meals prepared using seasonal Queensland produce and served directly at the seats.

5 Puffing Billy

Australia’s premier preserved steam train, Puffing Billy takes holiday makers through the magnificent Dandenong Ranges, located only one hour east of Melbourne, the same way it did its original mountain track from Belgrave to Gembrook. Many visitors from around the world enjoy travelling aboard

Puffing Billy as a stand-alone experience or sometimes as part of a Melbourne day tour to relax and breathe in the fresh air whilst the train makes its way through the temperate rainforest brushing past lush fern gullies and Mountain Ash trees.

6 West Coast Wilderness Railway

Claimed as the world’s steepest steam railway, this railway started its journey in 1896 as a lifeblood of a copper mine in remote Queenstown in Tasmania. Its construction in a rugged terrain was conquered by using an inventive rack and pinion track technique that’s still in use. Unfortunately after 67 years of successful freight runs between the mine and foreshore at Strahan, located around 40 km away, miners abandoned its operation. The whistle toot was heard again in 2014, when the journey was resumed on the same route as West Coast Wilderness Railway, a touristy venture, to bring alive history and to offer guests a deep immersion into a unique cooltemperate nature, only accessible by this extraordinary rail odyssey.

MORE INFORMATION The Ghan, Indian Pacific and the Overland are operated by the Great Southern Railway (www.greatsouthernrail.com.au) Spirit of Queensland is operated by Queensland Rail (www. queenslandrailtravel.com.au) For Puffing Billy and West Coast Wilderness Railway, check respectively www. puffingbilly.com.au and www.wcwr.com.au

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FORETELL

OCTOBER 2018 BY MINAL KHONA Minal Khona has been reading tarot cards for the last two decades. She uses her intuition and connect with the cards mostly to help people.

TAROT

ARIES March 21 - April 19

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

CANCER June 21 - July 20

The number six card drawn for you indicates the ability to transcend difficulties; remember that because troubles could multiply this month. Trips get postponed and work issues frustrate immensely. Insomnia could cause health problems and financial losses too are indicated. However, things will work out and difficulties in relationships will wither away due to a bond of destiny that you share. Proceed with caution in everything. Go with the flow, have faith that everything will work out in your favour.

A major arcana indicates an important event that is about to begin or culminate. You focus on hope and faith, spiritual growth and happiness. If on the brink of a relationship, you proceed with caution. A new work initiative gives you a chance to work with a larger audience; and some of you might consider changing jobs. Money expected will come in. Trust your gut instinct and be wary of all interactions that demand your trust, as someone could cheat you.

A month of stress with depression and discord, stalled projects and worry about the future dominating. A separation from a loved one is temporary as your fears are baseless. A reunion is on the cards. Success at work is on the anvil despite all the hurdles. Stomach-related health issues could besiege you. Spiritual guidance from the universe will change your perspective. What looks like a setback is an opportunity for growth and wisdom. Wait for things to resolve themselves.

You yearn for more but you don’t know what. Work, meetings, new projects keep you busy this month. Health issues come up due to emotional stress and you could have problems with your legs or feet. A need for love and companionship occupies you but now is not the right time. The work environment could suffer due to disturbing influences, unforeseen obstacles etc. But you will succeed through your ability to take decisive actions and positive responses from colleagues.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

Emotions dominate this month for Leos, and relationships, reunions and reconciliations will take up your time. If in love, you have to be clear about what you want before you can take things further. A short trip proves fruitful. You aim higher at work and financial problems get resolved. An unexpected source will help you in your profession. Success comes through following your path and communicating your needs effectively. A love affair goes nowhere if you are involved.

If you wish to give up on a habit, start now, as the stars align to help you along. A change of lifestyle, perhaps enforced by circumstances is foretold. A relationship is likely to end though your feelings for the person remain. A sudden loss of income might shake you out of complacency so start saving. A negative situation will work out positively and you should let go of situations that no longer assist in your spiritual evolution.

Tarot denotes a Leo-type personality for you this month: family gatherings, spiritual pursuits, love affairs and seeking personal fulfillment will keep Librans busy. A passionate love affair is in store for singles, or someone will reveal how they feel about you. If a relationship is going downhill, you might just want to end it. Impulsive purchases will be wise buys in retrospect; and money is on its way. You will attract whatever you need and true guidance will come to you.

Whatever you may be experiencing this month, remember that you have divine protection. Practical concerns like family ties and daily life occupy your time. New developments make the future look better. Money can be blocked but it will come even though living expenses will be high. Anxiety about your inability to forge a strong bond, and a falling out or misunderstanding with a friend or employer, is also predicted. In the end, you will be grateful for resolution of conflicts.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

You will exhibit Taurean traits such as being realistic, practical and patient while unexpected developments take centrestage. You will want to walk away from a painful situation but will be unable to do so. A lover returns unexpectedly. Beware of emotional problems affecting work. Maintain a detached demeanour in spite of turmoil. Start organising your finances if they’re in disarray. Success will come through effort, gradual growth and opportunities. Your pessimism will vanish when things get better.

A time of introspection and decisions, besides reaching a plateau in your life, making you question - what next? Spiritual growth is indicated for those seeking insights, but you clam up when it comes to sharing your deeper feelings for fear of being vulnerable. Slow down or you risk falling sick. Outstanding debts owed to you will get cleared. Success come through perseverance in spite of obstacles. Work on your inner net to ensure smooth sailing in the outer world.

In a difficult situation, bide your time and wait for destiny to play out the future. Do your best no matter how tough the situation is currently. Business is good and your skill set helps you make money. Any new age or metaphysical ventures will be successful. A health issue could be misdiagnosed so seek a second opinion. Major changes in the way you handle problems are indicated. Go it alone for the time being and focus on your goals.

New ideas and beginnings, along with anxiety and pressure, will keep you preoccupied this month. You seek satisfaction and recognition in your career. A new love affair could sweep you off your feet while a marriage could be on the rocks. Some tense moments in your financial life could frustrate you. However, this is all temporary and you will move into an easier situation. You will get what you want; remember to have faith because your work speaks for itself.

. OCTOBER 2018 35

opInIon

ENTERTAINMENT

Section 18C

cineTALK A protection we cannot afford to lose Australians value freedom of expression but laws against hate speech are still essential

A MOVING BIOPIC, ASTUTELY TOLD

A flourishing society also requires more than just freedom of speech; it requires security, stability, a just legal system and a vibrant economy. BY That is why freedom of speech is not mATT KeAN absolute. In this country, it is criminal to disclose secrets which risk the lives of Australian soldiers. It is likewise ustralia is a a crime for a corporate executive country of great The character of Manto - a fragile man to disclose market sensitive diversity. You with a strong voice which he mates. expresses information to his The can see it in the faces of through hislaw writings - isus palpable. Manto protects from slander and the people that you work is every inch the person who spoke his protects privileged comments with. You can see it in A flourishing society mind through his writings, without fear. the restaurants that line requires more The thanhumanemade sidetoofour thelawyers. writer comes As a society, recognise the main streets of our is loaded with just freedom ofacross strongly too, as hewe that these restrictions do not towns. And you can see it shortcomings. speech; it requires hurt our or way in the variety of religious Rasika Duggal as democracy Safia, his wife, security, stability, a is earnest and real. She essays her of life. Indeed, we understand and cultural events just legal system and character effortlessly with restraint that they are necessary to celebrated around the and conviction. Unfortunately, a vibrant economy maintain it. And lawsher against country: Chinese New performance is restricted by the sketchy hate speech are no less Year, Diwali, Hanukkah, script that limits her character. racism Ramadan and Christmas Tahir Raj necessary, Bhasin asbecause Manto’s closeand bigotry tear at the heart of to name a few. friend, actor Shyam delivers a strong our social fabric. However, the treatment performance and leaves an indelible Racism and bigotry leave of the Aboriginal impact. the character. You can feel Manto’s In cameos, Dutta onehome. of the people feeling Divya exiled in theiras own peoples in this as a chilling frustrations as country he feelsstands incapacitated characters Manto’s stories, when in Lahore, and this enhanced They do notofimprove theshort quality of reminder that tolerance hasisnot always by Rishi as ado Parsi Ila the timesriots he lives in. publicKapoor debate nor theyproducer, assist the wise beencircumstances embraced. Theand Cronulla similarly Arun as Jaddan Bai and the They actors The film touches your heart completion of a ballot paper. arewho reminds us how quickly what especially we have play Toba Tek Singh and Ashok Kumar, in the scene where he says, referring to insidious because they attack a person achieved can be put at risk. deliver power-packed performances. Mumbai, “My father is buried there, my because of will theirappeal identity; heritage. The proposed amendments to The film totheir people who love mother is buried there, and my son Arif They imply person is inferior because the is Racial Discrimination werecall that history and that are awell-versed with Manto’s too buried there, butAct I can’t of who they are hurtful, put forward on the basis that the writings. Theare. filmThey enables you to divisive travel place my country.” and lead to individuals and current wording of Section back in time ascan cinematographer Kartik The dialogues strike the right chord Vyas’s lensentire captures and recreates and mostly Manto’s own words. communities feeling 18Care inappropriately the era replete with sepia tones to They are poetic and hard-hitting. An unwanted, unvalued and constrains our freedom of perfection. The atmospheric lighting anguished Manto lashes out at the second-class. speech. further adds to the authenticity. judge accused Comments today can also Thatwhen section makes of it obscenity in his The mellifluous and mournful score writings. “My stories mirror the society. revive memories of past wrongs. unlawful to do an act in by Zakir Hussain imparts an interesting If you don’t like the mirror, what can I As a society, we Unfortunately, few ethnic public which “is reasonably dimension to the narrative. do?” groups have been spared the likely… to offend, insult, recognise that Overall, Manto, rooted in history, is a Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Manto pain of racially justified humiliate or intimidate treat to watch. with ease in an author-backed role. restrictions on free another person or a group speech do not hurt persecution. Examples such of people” if “the act our democracy or as slavery in the United States and the Holocaust are well is done because of the way of life. Indeed, known. In recent times, the race, colour or national or we understand world has seen genocides in ethnic origin of the other they are necessary Rwanda and Bosnia, while person”. to maintain it. And today in North Korea There is no doubt laws against hate persecution is justified by that freedom of speech speech are no less racial supremacy. is important but it is Together, we have built important because of necessary, because the role it plays in our racism and bigotry a vibrant, rich and diverse democracy. Freedom tear at the heart of society. A society not focused of speech ensures that our social fabric on the differences between us, but founded on the when you or I go to the strengths our differences ballot box we can make afford us. Section 18C an informed decision stands, not as a threat to about who to vote for. freedom of speech, but as a protector of Freedom of speech is necessary so that as the purposes which that freedom serves, and a community, we can debate political ideas as a guard to an achievement exceptional in and so that individuals can have a say on this time and rare in times before. decisions that affect them. Matt Kean is the Member for Hornsby and Section 18C ensures that everyone has a Parliamentary Secretary for Communities. role to play in that debate.

MANTO

STARRING: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rasika Duggal, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Tilottama Shome, Divya Dutta, Rishi Kapoor DIRECTOR: Nandita Das

HHHHH

Director Nandita Das’ Manto is a poignant and hard-hitting biopic about the controversial Indo-Pakistani Urdu short-story writer Sadat Hassan Manto. It is her tribute to Manto, albeit one she renders with honesty as she presents the celebrated writer with all his failings and greatness. The film opens in Mumbai where a young and raring-to-go Manto is slowly but surely making his presence felt in the Indian film industry. With the

Partition breaking out, circumstances compel Manto to move to Pakistan, and his life changes. The film portrays how circumstances can break a straightforward and talented man who depicted the society through his unapologetic writing. The director succeeds in allowing the audience to be privy to the life of this author who lives in Lahore but has his heart belonging to Mumbai. The narrative flows smoothly and the origination of some of his short stories like “Toba Tek Singh”, “Khol Do” and “Thanda Gosht” are successfully depicted. Like every character-driven film, this film too moves at a slow pace, but manages to keep you engrossed. The drama is in the inner turmoil within

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FIRE-CRACKER PERFORMANCES

PATAAKHA

STARRING: Sanya Malhotra, Radhika Madan, Sunil Grover, Vijay Raaz, Abhishek Duhan, Namit Das, Saanand Verma DIRECTOR: Vishal Bharadwaj

HHHHH

Based on Charan Singh Pathik’s short story Do Behnein, Pataakha is a tale of two feral, warring sisters, who love each other with a fierceness that stands beside their lifelong rivalry. Set in Rajasthan and designed as a psychological comedy, the film has a rustic charm that entices the audience and one that you can relate to. The narrative begins with snap-shots of the rivalry between Champa Kumari

aka Badki and Genda Kumari aka Chhutki, the two daughters of Shanti Bushan (Vijay Raaz) a quarry contractor. The two of them are as different as chalk and cheese, with Badki desiring to be a dairy farmer and Chhutki dreaming of becoming a teacher, both always swearing never to live together, ever. But due to unavoidable circumstances, the sisters are forced to elope with their respective lovers; Badki with a timid engineer (Namit Das) and Chhutki with an English speaking army man (Abhishek Duhan). How the two sisters land up living together becomes an interesting twist in the tale. And, when the two aren’t fighting, their rivalry is fuelled by a Naarad-like character called Dipper (Sunil Grover), who also

happens to be the narrator of the tale. With the hysterical squabble that leads to crass-wrestling, the first act entertains and keeps you intrigued. But gradually as life complexes the roaring pot-shots along with the physical clash, the tone gets monotonous and the sheen fades away. But what keeps you glued are the brilliant performances by the notso-famous cast. Sanya Malhotra as Chhutki, the younger sister, along with Radhika Madan as Badki, the older one, are both fabulous. They live under the skin of their characters, moving freely with gay abandon and mouthing dialogues with a tinge of the local dialect which are earthy and far from bucolic. The lines, brought to life by the

demeanour of the sisters, offer light moments to chuckle. Vijay Raaz as Shanti Bushan, who loves his daughters dearly, excels as the world-weary and fatigued father of the duo. Sunil Grover as Dipper is an extension of his television persona. Saanand Verma who essays the role of Patel, the groom abandoned at the mandap, along with Abhishek Duhan and Namit Das, have their moments of on-screen glory. While on the face of it, the film appears to be a simple tale of reality and dreams, director Vishal Bharadwaj uses the two sisters blatantly as a metaphor to pass on a socio-political message. The scenes of the warring sisters, with no one trying to separate them, just add a poetic flavour to the tale. While the film has all the trappings of a Vishal Bharadwaj film, Ranjan Palit’s camera work is worth a mention. His weird camera angles and movements bring out the eccentricities of the sisters and make the drama more vibrant. The loud background score and the music mesh seamlessly with the narrative. Those looking forward to Malaika Arora’s item number would be disappointed. Overall, the film is an above average entertainer. Troy Ribeiro

WORKING CLASS JOYS AND SORROWS SUI DHAAGA: MADE IN INDIA

STARRING: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma DIRECTOR: Sharat Katariya

HHHHH

After I saw Sharat Katariya’s debut film Dum Laga Ke Haisha, I hoped the director won’t sell out to the star system. But his second film starred a market-friendly lead star. I hoped Katariya’s second film won’t lose the charm and innocence of the first. Providentially, Sui Dhaaga loses none of the delicacy and sting even while providing space to its leads to surrender to their characters. Varun Dhawan surrenders to his character Mauji as though the role was tailor-made for him. Never afraid to look less than heroic on-screen, Varun furnishes his tailor’s character with a rugged candour. This is an actor and a character who are so sincere to their craft that they don’t mind crawling on the floor if that’s what it takes to stay afloat. Varun’s performance is filled with a

smothered disappointment. It takes his quietly confident and deceptively docile wife Mamta (Anushka) to bring out the suppressed ambition in her husband. I am afraid Anushka Sharma, a fine actress in the best of times, is just not equipped to get all the intricacies of her character tightly into place. Anushka’s is a ‘look-I-can-do-it’ performance filled with a kind of phoney Jaya Bhaduristyle angst that works well within the film’s claustrophobic working-class atmosphere. The aspirational narrative of how Mauji finds his groove with considerable help from his street-wise wife, works like a charm because all the performers are solidly sincere. But most of all, Sui Dhaaga wins our hearts because the director never milks the milieu for soppy sentimentality. Nor does he swing the other way to make the middle-class ambience a place to celebrate misery. The tone is constantly energetic, yet poised. Katariya is neither awed by stillness nor intimidated by noise. He listens to the heartbeat of the heartland. We listen. Subhash K Jha

OCTOBER 2018 37

ENTERTAINMENT

The BUZZ UP-TO-DATE NEWS ON WHAT’S HOT AND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

IRRFAN KHAN

MEANWHILE, IN BANGLADESH….

SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT BACK ‘VILLAGE ROCKSTARS’ IN OSCAR RACE?

oted Assamese actor Adil Hussain has urged the government to release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of Rima Das’ Assamese film Village Rockstars ahead of the Oscars, where it will represent India in the Best Foreign Language film category. The Film Federation of India (FFI) made the announcement of the selection of the film for the Oscars recently. But its selection committee chairman S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, a veteran film producer, said there is an acute lack of funds to carry out the required promotional processes effectively, which is why many Indian movies haven’t made it to the final round, barring three, Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001). Adil said he was “flummoxed” by the statement and took to Twitter to blast the government. “After selecting ‘Village Rockstars’, jury says there’s acute lack of funds to promote film at Oscars,” tweeted the actor, who starred in the 2017 Norwegian film What Will People Say which went on to become Norway’s official entry to the Oscars this year. Adil drew the attention of the Assam government, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his office and of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the matter, hoping they “will immediately release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of Village Rockstars, since all other countries have already started their campaigns in the US”. As Rajendra Singh Babu rightly pointed out, “It is impossible for independent and small producers to promote their film all by themselves. It is important that they receive funds to do so. It is important we follow these processes to reach all the Academy members and critics.” Adil’s tweets got much reaction. Actor Annup Sonii expressed disappointment, and wrote: “For the smallest achievement they have big funds but for this... ‘Acute lack of funds’. Eventually it will come down

38 OCTOBER 2018

to the filmmaker asking for favours or donations... Sad... Very sad.” Actress Renuka Shahane questioned: “Why don’t we from the film fraternity join hands and create a fundraiser for our Oscar entry? Let’s not depend on the government. It is important that we support this gem of a film onwards to the Oscars.” When a Twitter user pointed out that “filthy rich, big stars and producers” from the industry “can afford your Oscar thingy”, Renuka retorted: “What do you mean ‘Our Oscar thingy’? It should be a matter of pride for the entire country that a young girl with no background or training in filmmaking makes an incredible film like ‘Village Rockstars’ that compels the jury to select it for the Oscars. Let’s not be myopic.” But other users commented that the taxpayers’ money should not be used for Oscars. “Is it some kind of national service? Why should we care about an American award? Why can’t the film industry fund these expenses?” the user questioned. To which, Adil wrote: “Government can use taxpayers’ money to promote India’s image as a supporter of high quality art. That’s what all civilised governments do! ‘Village Rockstars’ is an independent film. It’s not a mainstream run-of-the-mill film. Set in Das’ own village of Chhaygaon in Assam, Village Rockstars is the story of “poor but amazing children” who live a fun-filled life. The film won the Best Feature film Award at the 65th National Film Awards. As for Das, she is hoping for the best as far as funds are concerned to put her film on the Oscars map. “Village Rockstars is a film about dreams and hope. It has transcended so many barriers right from the time of its inception and I am hopeful that this time too, it will.” Here’s hoping the Village Rockstars get their chance to be rockstars at the global village stage.

Indian actor Irrfan Khan-starrer Doob - No Bed of Roses, which was once banned in Bangladesh, has been chosen as the country’s official entry for the Academy Awards 2019. Doob stars Irrfan - also its coproducer - as a successful filmmaker facing a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter’s childhood friend, causing a national scandal. The India-Bangladesh bilingual co-production, written and directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, features Rokeya Prachi as Irrfan’s wife, while Nusrat Imrose Tisha plays the daughter and Indian actress Parno Mittra plays her childhood friend. In a statement about the film, Farooki had said he took inspiration from a real-life incident “which shook the very foundation of Bangladesh’s judgmental Muslim society” and “how women struggle in our society and find strength in despair”. The film walked on a path full of thorns as it was banned in Bangladesh on the grounds that it might be based on revered real-life author and filmmaker Ahmed, who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years his junior. The ban was eventually lifted and the film released in October 2017 in Bangladesh, France, India and Australia. Irrfan, who is currently undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is thrilled that the Bangladesh Oscar Committee has chosen Doob to represent the country at the Academy Awards. Bangladesh has yet to secure an Oscar nomination, though it has been sending entries to the foreignlanguage category since 2002. The 91st Academy Awards will be held on 24 Feb, 2019.

ON THE TANUSHREE DUTTA SAGA

It was bound to happen. Tanushree Dutta may have opened a floodgate with her sexual harassment allegations against veteran actor Nana Patekar. Only weeks ago in Melbourne, actor Richa Chadha had told Indian Link’s Preeti Jabbal on the sidelines of the IFFM, that the Indian industry is rife for its own version of #MeToo. Today she is one of the many newgeneration film professionals who has come out in strong support of Tanushree as her story of harassment and intimidation - not to mention pushing out of the industry - comes to the fore more and more clearly.

A gamut of stars like Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, Hansal Mehta, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vir Das, Swara Bhaskar and Anurag Kashyap have spoken out strongly in support of the Dutta, a former beauty queen: they’ve called for people to listen to her story and not judge her, as well as the need for others to come out about their own experiences. Old-timers and the more established stars have chosen to remain silent, sadly even when pointedly asked. (We’re looking at you, Mr Big Amitabh Bachchan, at your lame, pussy-footed reply to media). The social media backlash has been strong, and this class of ‘privileged’ Bollywood-wallahs seems now to have learned some lessons. Everyone one must be taking instruction on how to answer that inevitable question from the press this past week: what do you think of the Tanushree Dutta allegations? Current favourite Varun Dhawan for instance, passed muster when he made an inane comment about “safe work places for everybody” or some such. Old-timer Asha Bhosle gave a long-winded answer about how important it is for women to talk about issues that affect them, and listed everything she has done for women’s upliftment. Blah blah, you guys. How about: I am shocked to hear this, I hope the perpetrator is brought to book, I’d like to see Tanushree get closure, this kind of abuse is rampant, let’s clean up our industry. Tanushree had first raised the allegation against the actor in 2008. She brought the spotlight once again on her unpleasant experience of working with Nana during the shooting of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss, in a recent interview. Eye witness reports have confirmed the story. The allegations were followed up by the release of a video in which her car was attacked. Nana, 67, denies all allegations. “What can I do about what one says? You tell me. What does it mean by sexual harassment.” Sounds very much like he does not know what acceptable behaviour is.

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RIP, KALPANA LAJMI

Filmmaker and screenwriter Kalpana Lajmi, niece of the legendary Guru Dutt and acclaimed for making women-oriented films like Rudaali, Ek Pal, Daman and Chingaari, died in Mumbai on 24 Sept following a multiple organ failure. She was 64. Lajmi breathed her last at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital, where she was admitted in the intensive care unit six days before due to kidney-related issues. President Ram Nath Kovind and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal paid condolences, as did a slew of well-known names like Hansal Mehta, Nandita Das, Soni Razdan and Raveena Tandon from the film industry. “Sorry to hear of the passing of Kalpana Lajmi, a filmmaker of rare sensitivity. The repertoire of her work, from depicting strong and resilient women to cinematic renditions of Assamese life, was remarkable. Condolences to her family and wellwishers,” read a post from the official President of India Twitter handle. Her contribution to Indian cinema will be remembered forever, said Sonowal. Lajmi had been undergoing dialysis for a couple of years, and true to her indomitable spirit, had said in an

interview last year, “My kidneys have failed, but I haven’t.” She had forayed into filmdom as an assistant director under renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, following which she made her directorial debut with a documentary film D.G. Movie Pioneer based on Bengali filmmaker Dhiren Ganguly in 1978. Her feature film debut came with Ek Pal. She also directed the TV serial Lohit Kinaare (1988) for Doordarshan and 26 episodes of a serial Dawn, on the freedom movement of India. Lajmi’s last film as a director was Chingaari, based on the novel The Prostitute and the Postman by the late Bhupen Hazarika, her long-time companion. She also penned a book, Bhupen Hazarika: As I Knew Him. It was launched on 8 September by Benegal and Lajmi’s mother, painter Lalita Lajmi. The filmmaker, who was hospitalised at that time too, could not attend the event as her doctors had refused to allow her a long commute. Known for fearless filmmaking with women in strong roles, Lajmi’s 1993 Dimple Kapadia-starrer Rudaali was even chosen as India’s official entry to the 66th Academy Awards.

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KRISHNA RAJ KAPOOR: BOLLYWOOD’S ‘FIRST LADY’

Krishna Kapoor, the widow of the legendary Bollywood actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, died on 1 Oct at the age of 87, bringing an end to the second generation of the influential clan. A gamut of film fraternity celebrities mourned her demise, and remembered her as the pillar of the Kapoor family, and as someone who personified grace, dignity and affection. Krishna, who married Raj Kapoor in May 1946, is survived by her sons Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, and daughters Ritu Nanda and Rima Kapoor-Jain. “She died peacefully,” Randhir said in a statement. Mrs Kapoor was due to attend on 2 Oct the inauguration of Raj Kapoor’s dream project - the planet’s biggest pillar-less dome in Pune on a property formerly owned by the late actor-filmmaker, which she sold to Vishwanath Karad. But fate willed otherwise. Krishna was the sister of the legendary villain, the late Prem Nath, and comedian Rajendra Nath. Their brother-in-law is the other Bollywood baddie, Prem Chopra. She is known to have conducted herself with great dignity when Raj Kapoor had an affair with Nargis, but she put her foot down and moved out of the house when her husband got inclined towards Vyjayanthimala, Rishi Kapoor had shared in his book. “He did all he could to woo her back, but my mother wouldn’t give in until he had ended that chapter of his life,” Rishi wrote. In the industry, Krishna commanded a lot of respect, and that was visible as a string of celebrities turned up to pay their last respects. Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kemmu, Alia Bhatt, Rani Mukerji, Ayan Mukerji, Anil Kapoor and Salma Khan were among those who were present.

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BACKCHAT

ASK AUNTYJI Never go without earrings DEAR AUNTYJI Both my husband and I have very good jobs and are reasonably comfortable. I work in corporate Australia and I love clothes, so I tend to make an effort to look my best every day. I work hard, and I feel if I look polished, this will impact my confidence. Auntyji, it’s true that I tend to spend a fair bit of money on clothes, but I never spend beyond our means. Now I call my husband our finance minister because he is fairly fiscally prudent and I love that about him. He has just booked us a two-week holiday in New York for Christmas, and has said that we should curb our spending so we could shop there. But I saw a beautiful pair of very expensive antique turquoise earrings and on a whim, I put it on lay-by. They are beautiful and I can’t wait to get them. Auntyji, I feel guilty, because I did not tell this to Andy. I am slightly shamed by my behaviour. What to do? Should I tell him? AUNTYJI SAYS You besharam, lying to your husband like that! But tell me, kaise hain

BACKCHAT

ye beautiful earrings? They must be exquisite - especially if they are antique turquoise. But what to do. Aap ne jhoot bola hai - even if it’s lying by omission. So, if you want trust in the relationship, Andy ko batana padega. Imagine if he did this to you. Imagine if, aap ke peeth ke peeche, he went and bought a new set of golf clubs or a new set of wheels for the car and didn’t tell you? Would this bother you? If it did, then you need to think deeply about what you have done. But if he is your minister of finance and he decided that he wanted a new set of golf clubs and he could afford it, then I don’t see why you would have an issue with this. Which means that by the same token, you should be allowed to buy what you want - seeing that you are also financially responsible. But, you feel a sense of shame, my little kabootri, because you weren’t honest with the pati dev. Jaa kar batao unko aap ne kya paap kiya hai. Then go and feed some gulab jamuns to the gareeb to get some redemption. Jug jug jiyo, meri pari.

Bollywood baby DEAR AUNTYJI Recently I’ve developed a new habit and I wanted to share this with you, because I know you will appreciate this too. So I was generally reading up on Bollywood gossip shossip on the internet, and I came across some pictures of Taimur Ali Khan! Now Auntyji, I don’t know how I missed all this, but he is so so beautiful! He is the most adorable baby I have ever seen in my life and now, every single day, I log online just to see if there are new pictures of him. I could stare at him for hours - he is a bundle of cuteness! Have you seen his pictures? Kitna pyara baccha hai, nah? I am even thinking of making up a gift package and sending it to Kareena and Saif. I am besotted by this little bubba. Would you be able to get me their address so I could send him some love from Australia? AUNTYJI SAYS Ya allah, mujhe sabar de in zaalim logon se. My na-akl paapin, my kaali mirchi, kuch to sharam kar. Thousands of miles away is the Chota Nawab, minding his own business, being loved by his Ma and Pa and from the other

side of the duniya, kisi ki kaali nazar ne un ko lomari ki khayalat se dekha. Don’t you have work to do, or a hobby, or other people pareshan karne ke liye? Leave our Chota Nawab alone, because everyone knows that evil eyes exist, and if you keep staring at our Chota Nawab, he will likely fall sick. Is that what you want - for India’s darling Taimur to fall sick? How will you feel then? Granted, Taimur bahut hi pyara baby hai. And with all the best of the Kapoors and Pataudis coursing through his veins, he was destined to be a celestial darling. But, you need to find something else to occupy your kaali nazren. Go find a hobby, or jaa kar volunteer kar hospital me. This fascination of yours is disturbing. And no, koi zaroorat nahi hai care package send karne ki. In fact, go and donate some gifts and money to poor children and that will bring you redemption. Hum abhi bata dete hain, if our little Taimur, our beautiful khajoor, our kohinoor, our sartaj gets sick, it will be on you and your kaali nazar. I hope baat samajh me aa gayi hai aap ko.

Where’s the remote? waveof ofself-reliance self-reliancesweeps sweepsthe theworld… world…but butmisses missessome somepeople people AAwave BY BY NURYVITACHI VITACHI NURY

columnistonce oncewatched watched hishiscolumnist a 60-minuteBBC BBCTV TV a 60-minute documentaryononthe therailways railways documentary Lahoresimply simplybecause becausethe the ofofLahore remotecontrol controlwas wasononanother anotherchair. chair. remote Heartlesspeople peoplecall callthis this“laziness”, “laziness”, Heartless butI prefer I preferthe theterm term“terminal “terminal but indolence”,which whichsounds soundsmore more indolence”, medical. medical. a bidtotoencourage encourageme metotobebemore more InIna bid active,colleagues colleaguespointed pointedout outthat thata a active, noble,dramatic dramaticwave waveofofself-reliance self-relianceis is noble, sweepingthe theworld worldatatthe themoment. moment. sweeping startedwith witha video a videoreport reportfrom from It Itstarted Chinaa few a fewdays daysago agoshowing showinga woman a woman China out shopping for food. She paused out shopping for food. She paused forfora a momentand andgave gavebirth birthtotoa baby, a baby,which which moment thefloor. floor.She Shenever nevereven evensatsatdown. down. fellfelltotothe Onlookersininthe thecity cityofofYunfu Yunfucalled calledanan Onlookers ambulanceand andparamedics paramedicsbut butshe shewaved waved ambulance themaway awayand andwalked walkedhome, home,baby babyininone one them handand andshopping shoppingininthe theother. other. hand Justimagine imaginethe theconversation. conversation.Husband: Husband: Just “What did you get?” Wife: “Four carrots, “What did you get?” Wife: “Four carrots, a baby, and some bananas.” Husband: a baby, and some bananas.” Husband:

40 OCTOBER 2018

OF COURSE I TALK TO MYSELF BECAUSE SOMETIMES I NEED EXPERT ADVICE “Good,I like I likebananas.” bananas.” “Good, The wave of self-reliance spreadtotothe theUS. US. The wave of self-reliance spread On April 2, a car hit a woman, sending On April 2, a car hit a woman, sending herflying. flying.She Shepicked pickedherself herselfup, up,refused refused her ambulanceand anddrove droveherself herselftotothe the ananambulance hospital,the theTennessee Tennesseepress pressreported. reported. hospital, Onthe thesame sameday, day,a man a manininLas LasVegas Vegaswas was On shot- but - butalso alsodrove drovehimself himselftotohospital, hospital, shot accordingtotothe thelocal localradio radionews. news. according This is a bit worrying, conjuring This is a bit worrying, conjuring upupa a vision UShighways highwaysbeing beingfilled filledwith with vision ofofUS motoristszooming zoomingalong alongwhile whileseverely severely motorists

injured.“Oops, “Oops,sorry sorryforforcrashing crashinginto into injured. you, someone shot my head off so I can’t you, someone shot my head off so I can’t see anything.” “No problem, bud.” see anything.” “No problem, bud.” Self-reliancewas wasdemonstrated demonstratedinin Self-reliance SoutheastAsia Asiaatatthe thesame sametime timetoo. too.AnAn Southeast economypassenger passengeronona Kuala a KualaLumpur Lumpur economy HongKong Kongflight flightupgraded upgradedherself. herself. totoHong Theflight flightattendant attendantsent senther herback, back,but butshe she The sneakedforwards forwardsthree threetimes. times.Eventually Eventually sneaked thepassengers passengersininthe theexpensive expensiveseats seats the shouted at her to go back. This seems shouted at her to go back. This seems unfair,since sinceshe shewas wasdoing doingnonoharm harmtoto unfair,

thembesides besidesdamaging damagingtheir theirelitism. elitism. them I toldcolleagues colleaguesthat thatthese thesewere were I told trivialexamples examplescompared comparedtotothe the trivial ultimatedo-it-yourself do-it-yourselftale. tale.Jadav Jadav ultimate PayengofofAssam Assammoved movedtotoa large a large Payeng sandbar in a river. He spent years sandbar in a river. He spent 3030years planting trees, and eventually turned planting trees, and eventually turned intoa new a newforest forest1,360 1,360acres acresinin it itinto size.The Theforest forestwas wassososuccessful successfulthat that size. tigersand andelephants elephantsnow nowshare shareit itwith with tigers him. him. Andpossibly possiblythe theworst worstdo-it-yourself do-it-yourself And truestory storyis isthat thatofofOscar OscarTaylor Taylorofof true California. He performed a surgical California. He performed a surgical operation on himself in 1909. died operation on himself in 1909. HeHedied andhishisfamily familymembers membersdidn’t didn’teven even and havea doctor a doctortotosue, sue,sosothey theymissed missed have importantUS UStradition. tradition. ananimportant ownhome homerecently, recently,the thekids kids AtAtmymyown werewatching watchinga viral a viralvideo videoabout about were a dognamed namedDrewbert Drewbertwho whowas was a dog playing “fetch” with himself. Owner Jialu playing “fetch” with himself. Owner Jialu Wong was busy, so the dog threw his own Wong was busy, so the dog threw his own balland andfetched fetchedit.it. ball Butgoing goingback backtotowhere wherethis thisstarted, started,one one But kidstells tellsme methat thatmodern modernpeople people ofofmymykids longeruse useTV TVremote remotecontrols. controls.They They nonolonger changechannels channelsbybygiving givingvoice voicecommands commands change theirAlexa Alexaelectronic electronicassistants. assistants. tototheir So basically, they’re agreeing withme: me: So basically, they’re agreeing with reaching for the remote and pressing reaching for the remote and pressing a a buttonis isjust justtoo toomuch muchwork, work,right? right? button

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