Ive always got

great roles
12 MAY2017 Vol. 9 Issue 8
Parineeti
Chopra

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Migrant taxi drivers
A tale of hope, struggle and aspirations
SANDEEP SINGH
N
ew Zealand is an immigrant nation
that has been formed and built
upon the immigration, which brings
migrants from different parts of the world
who contribute to New Zealand society
and economy.
However, the attitudes and responses
of the average New Zealanders towards
all migrants are not same and have been a
subject of the ongoing political discourse of
the day.
Recently, some of the new migrant workers
perceived to be doing low-skilled jobs have
come under a scanner resulting in a call for
purging immigration numbers.
According to a prominent immigration
lawyer, most of the noises in the current
immigration debate are rooted in growing
public resentment against the most
visible section of migrant workers such as
restaurants, petrol stations, and dairy stores
etc, which can now conveniently be clubbed
as "low-skilled workers."
In addition to this, recently New Zealand
Herald reported a survey that boisterously
stated that Indian migrants were the "least
happy" group of migrants in New Zealand
behind the migrant from the United
States (US).
In response to this changing discourse
around immigration in New Zealand and
the question mark on the "emotional health"
of Indian migrants in New Zealand, Indian
Weekender took a plunge to probe further.
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www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
The sight of
long queues
of migrant taxi drivers
in Auckland super city is
another way of reminding
everyone about
Auckland's growing
size and diversity
Towards this endeavour, Indian Weekender
took a microscopic view of the taxi industry
to throw some light on some of the individual
human stories around migration and
happiness of m igrant communities.
Taxis of a city have incredible stories to
tell. Just like sampling the cuisine of a place,
of 'migrant taxi drivers' is becoming more a
travelling in a local taxi can give an insight
into the culture of that particular place.
Similarly, apart from an insight of the culture
of the city where they operate, taxi drivers
have human stories of hope, despair and
aspirations to share with everyone.
The stories become more interesting and
compelling when the sample is of - migrant
taxi drivers - people who chose to drive taxis
in distant lands driven by various motivations
and situations in their individual lives.
For some of our globetrotting fellow
residents, the sight of 'migrant taxi drivers'
lined up in queues, especially late in the night,
waiting to serve customers seeking help to be
transported to their respective destinations is
not an uncommon experience.
In fact, depending on the geographical
and economic size of the city, especially in
the global-west, chances are that such a sight
NEW ZEALAND
3
norm, than an exception.
Be it the London's iconic Black Cabs or
New York city's Yellow Cabs, or it is the sight
of taxis in big cities in our own backyard like
Sydney and Melbourne, 'migrant drivers'
operating different taxi services in the major
world cities, especially in the Anglospheric
world, are a new social reality of our
contemporary world.
The sight of long queues of migrant
taxi drivers in Auckland super city is
another way of reminding everyone about
Auckland's growing size and diversity and
the role immigration plays in defining the
contemporary Auckland.
How important are
migrant drivers for the
taxi industry?
S
peaking with Indian Weekender, John Hartz,
Executive Director NZ Taxi Federation
acknowledges the value migrant drivers
bring to the taxi industry.
"Migrants, especially Indian, have
been very important for the taxi
industry throughout New Zealand," Mr
Hartz asserted.
"For most of the migrant taxi drivers, the
main objective is to provide an education for
their children and the real benefit to New
Zealand comes from the next generation,
who get professional qualifications and
 4 NEW ZEALAND
make very significant contributions to the
economy," Mr Hartz added.
How is the experience behind wheels in a
distant land?
Like everywhere else in life, not everyone
behind the taxi wheels has the same start.
While many have gradually drifted into the
job after exhausting their efforts in finding
something else meaningful, many have
chosen the career deliberately driven by the
flexibility, the opportunity to work hard and
make a reasonable and a dignified living.
Similarly, some were more articulate than
others, in clearly evaluating their experience
of driving taxis in Auckland.
Indian Weekenders question about the
experience of driving taxis was often met
with bewilderment, with most of the drivers
initially struggling to find words to describe
their experience crisply.
Not everyone starts
driving taxis out of sense
of compromise
J ignesh Patel from Gujarat has been
driving taxi since last few years after
initially arriving New Zealand on a
student visa studying Diploma in Business
Management.
He drifted into taxi driving after working
some time for good brands such as Coca-
Cola in pursuit of better flexibility and being
his own boss at work.
"I started this job couple of years ago after
there was some problem in my previous job.
"I liked taxi driving as it gives you lot of
flexibility and the opportunity to be your own
boss," Mr Patel said.
Similarly, another thirty-some driver from
Punjab who wanted to be known only as
"Vishu" have been driving taxis since last
two years.
As many other taxi-drivers to which Indian
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Jignesh Patel (above) and Vishu(above)
Weekender got an opportunity to speak with his
favourite topic was about the impact on Uber
on the earning potential of taxi drivers and
their accompanied resentment towards the
perceived absence of appropriate regulation
of the Uber drivers.
However, that was not the main theme
of Indian Weekenders interaction with these
migrant taxi drivers.
Mr Patel and Vishu paused a bit in response
to the question if they were "happy" with
their current job before hesitatingly agreeing
that they were "happy."
Nevertheless, their sense of self-esteem
and pride became evident as soon as we
asked them if they do realise the great work
they do in keeping Aucklanders moving day
and night.
Pat came the nod, followed with a childlike
enthusiasm about the "job" they do.
"Yes, we definitely take a pride in
taking people home safely every night,"
Vishu affirmed.
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12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz
Sunitha and Jagan Reddy
Meet the "couple However, it's not surprising that Sunitha
and Jagan, like many other migrant taxi
taxi drivers" in the drivers in the industry, did have an altogether
community different work experience back from their
country of origin.
A
lthough, meeting couples working in the
Sunitha was a schoolteacher by training
same profession or business is not an
exception, however meeting a couple driving
and meandered into this taxi-driving job
after being unsuccessful in securing a job in
taxis and willing to share their stories with
the same industry in New Zealand. Jagan was
everyone does not happen very often.
a lawyer and multiple-business owner back in
Sunitha and Jagan Reddy have in between
India before migrating to New Zealand in
them a 24-year combined experience of
the skilled migration category.
driving taxis on the Auckland roads.
Nevertheless, that does not belittle their
The husband, Jagan Reddy has done most "enthusiasm and sense of satisfaction" with
of the taxi driving for around 20 years with the job.
wife Sunitha starting to drive taxis since last
Jagan rose to become Chairman of a
four years. South Auckland based taxi company Taxi-
A mother of a university going son and United and cherishes his job thoroughly.
a teenage daughter who finished her year "I enjoy driving taxi, meeting and talking
12 recently, Mrs Reddy had every sense of to new people every day.
contentment of doing taxi job. "Not everyone who comes from India has
"I started full-time taxi driving about four an unassuming background.
years ago after I was inspired by my husband "I was working as a lawyer and owned
to do so. multiple family businesses before coming to
"Before that, I was doing school runs New Zealand...[and] I am happy with my
whereby dropping children to schools," Mrs current situation," Mr Reddy asserted in
Reddy said. the end.
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Be proactive to prevent robbery
in your store: NZ Police
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Auckland City District Police
hosted Robbery Prevention Seminar
on Tuesday, May 9 at Mahatma
Gandhi Centre in Eden Terrace. The event
was attended by community leaders, victims
of aggravated robberies and retailers from
different parts of the city.
The seminar was a part of the ongoing
Operation Dukan campaign by NZ Police.
Police officers have visited more than 900
local retail stores in last few months such
as dairy stores, petrol stations, liquor stores
in Auckland educating them on preventive
measures to take during unanticipated
incidents of robberies.
The seminar opened up defining robberies
and shoplifting by Constable Rob Stanton
and the basic precautions the retailers should
take to prepare for such situations and
mitigate such incidents proactively.
The seminar focussed on different aspects
of keeping ones stores safe, the most
important messages being keeping the store
equipped with accurately positioned CCTV
cameras, having a clear view of the parking
and walking space outside the store to note
anything suspicious, installing fog cannons
and keeping the aisles spacious and lower in
height so the movements of the prospective
offenders can be monitored.
The seminar also encouraged the retailers
to avoid getting into a physical scuffle with
the offenders in such situations as it has the
propensity of making the matter violent.
A good proactive work for the retailers is
to have a good view of the space outside the
store, including the parking area. Most of the
Spacious Superette in Auckland
Weekly Sales $11,000 Approx
Asking $130,000 plus Stock CMB 45684
Dairy with 3 Bedroom Accommodation in Northland
Weekly Sales $10,000 Approx
Asking $79,000 plus Stock CMB 45877
Dairy for Sale in West Auckland
Weekly Sales $12,500 Approx
Asking $149,000 plus Stock CMB 45875
Dairy in Auckland CBD
Weekly Sales $18,000 Approx
Asking $230,000 plus Stock CMB 45863
FREEHOLD OPTION AVAILABLE (SOLD)
Dairy in Manukau
Weekly Sales $7,000 Approx.
Asking $59,000 plus Stock CMB 45852
Dairy with 4 Bedroom Accommodation in Auckland
Weekly Sales $18,000 Approx.
Asking $450,000 plus Stock CMB 45882
Mini Supermarket for Sale in Rotorua
Weekly Sales $19,000 (incL Lotto Sale of $4500)
Asking $149,000 plus Stock CMB 45900
Dairy with Lotto in North Shore
Weekly Sale $22,000 Approx
(Including Lotto Sales of $9,000 Approx)
Cheap rent $91 plus GST per week
Price on Application CMB 45910
Dairy in Auckland with 2 Bedroom Accommodation
Rent is $342 plus GST (incl Accommodation)
Weekly Sales $12,000 Approx
Asking $135,000 plus Stock CMB 45925
www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
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Licensed Indian Restaurant for Sale in Auckland
Dairy for Sale in Auckland Weekly Sales $4,000 (only Dinner trade)
Weekly Sales $10,000 approx Asking $79,000 plus Stock CMB 45997
Asking $89,000 plus Stock CMB 45965
Licensed Indian Restaurant for Sale in Auckland
Lifestyle General Store Business with Trading only for Dinner, Same owner for past 11 years
FREEHOLD in Waikota, with 2 Bedroom Weekly Sales $14,000 Approx
Accommodation Asking $300,000 plus Stock CMB 46025
Weekly Sales $15,000 Approx
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Weekly Sales $25,000 Approx
Dairy for sale in Waikato Price on Application CMB 45910
Weekly Sales $9,000 Approx
Lotto, Printing and Photo Shop Business in
Asking $103,000 plus Stock CMB 46024
Auckland Lotto
5 days Superette on the North Shore Weekly Sales $15,000 Approx (Plus Shop Sales)
Weekly Sales $10,500 Approx Asking $89,000 plus Stock CMB 45944
Asking $99,000 plus Stock CMB 45990
Well Established Souvenirs and Gift Shop
Dairy for Sale in South Auckland
Same owner for past 16 years
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 6 NEW ZEALAND 12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Dairy owner pledges to thrash the next robber

turning in his store
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD Mr Singh expressed his disappointment on

F
rustrated over his staff being hit by two
robbers on Sunday, May 7 during an
aggravated robbery attempt, a dairy
shop owner in Onehunga has pledged to
thrash the next robber who enters his store.
Two robbers armed with screwdrivers
entered the Jellicoe Park Dairy on Trafalgar
Street at around 2 p.m. on Sunday and
charged the worker present in the shop.
the action of the police and the lawmakers.
He alleged that when the police come to
investigate the scene, they close the shop
for hours, asks many questions to which
the answers already lie in the CCTV
video footage.
We gave the police the car number, the
CCTV footage and yet they are unable to
catch the offenders in time. When will the
lawmakers take a strong and an

He pushed my staff onto the counter and effective action, the day we lose
demanded cash from the till. The offender our sons and daughters to
hit my staff a few times before he got into a a gunshot, stabbing or a
scuffle, owner of the dairy, Joga Singh said. hammer blow to the
Although the plot of the robbers to take head??, Mr Singh
cash and cigarettes from the shop failed as questioned.
The police
they attempted to take out the cash till, one
already has
of the two staffs present at the counter was
left injured and terrified. limited powers
and can barely
I have a bat at the counter and an iron
do anything to
rod inside, the next time I wouldnt think
these offenders,
twice before putting these robbers on the
floor, let the police do what they want, they
they get away
in three days,
[the robbers] have to be taught a lesson, Mr and we are back
Singh told Indian Weekender.
to square one,
The offenders failed to open the till and he added.
quickly drove into a car waiting outside, I have the police
apparently driven by the third accomplice. visiting the store today
The car was later found dumped in the evening, and I will tell them
neighbourhood and is believed to be stolen. on their face that I will not leave the
The police arrived at the dairy after being offender next time, I will make sure he gets
called by a customer and cordoned the shop the lesson of his life, Mr Singh said.
area for investigation. The robbery came just two hours before
My staff also works at the store next door the Crime Prevention Group meeting was
and had come to the dairy to have his lunch. scheduled to be held in Papatoetoe where the
He was beaten while he was leaving the members of parliament, community leaders,
counter and confronted the robbersbefore shop owners, victims of robbery and other
being hit back to the ground, Mr media gathered to discuss solutions to this
Singh added. rising crime in the city.
Jellicoe Park Dairy,
Onehunga
T h e s e
meetings will
only result
in another
meeting, and no
constructive results
will come out. In the
end, the people at the
receiving end will only
suffer, Mr Singh said.
Mr Singh said he would ask
all the dairy owners in the country
to go on a strike for one day and close all
their shops.
All dairies should be closed for one day,
it is not to make the community suffer but
ask them to understand our plight and
demand the government for a quick remedy
to this menace of the rise in robbery and
assaults on small dairy and liquor stores, Mr
Singh concluded.
Mr Singh said
he would ask
all the dairy owners in the
country to go on a strike
for one day and close all
their shops.
The Crime Prevention Group that was
started after an aggravated robbery in Mt
Roskill that left the owner Jitesh Arora
hospitalised with four consecutive surgeries
and their store shut down for the last two
months. Crime Prevention Group organised
a protest march on Sunday, April 30 that
witnessed participation of 700 people who
demanded a solution from the government.
The Prevention Group has also signed a
petition against rising crime and taken 7,000
signatures from all over New Zealand and
will soon march to the parliament.
 www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
NEW ZEALAND 7

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 8 NEW ZEALAND
New caller location system Steven Joyce defends
for mobile 111 calls immigration numbers, says
IWK BUREAU
P
olice Minister Paula Bennett,
Communications Minister
Simon Bridges and Internal
Affairs Minister Peter Dunne, today
announced a new caller location
system for 111 mobile phone calls that
will improve public safety and help
save lives.
The new system will automatically
provide emergency services with a
probable location of a caller when they
dial 111, Mrs Bennett said.
It will still be important for 111
callers to tell emergency services
operators where they are. However, if
the caller does not know their address
or exact whereabouts, the new system
will automatically provide emergency
services with a more precise location of
a 111 caller than is currently the case.
Each year, there are more than
twomillion calls to emergency services.
Last year, more than 80 per cent of
calls to 111 were made from a mobile
phone, and Police recorded over 1,800
incidents where they had to make a
special information request to a network
provider for a callers location.
Where people cant give an accurate
address emergency services can
experience real difficulty pinpointing
the callers location, Mr Dunne said.
This new system will enable police,
fire and ambulance services to respond
more quickly to emergency events
from mobile phones, as they will have
more accurate information about the
callers location.
The level of location accuracy will
still vary depending on a number of
factors such as the type of mobile phone
and the location source available.
This solution sees New Zealand
leading the way in emergency response
systems, alongside the United Kingdom
and other European countries. New
Zealand is the first country outside of
Europe to go live with Googles Android
Emergency Location service nationally,
Mr Bridges said.
Technology is changing the way
people and communities interact. As we
continue to use technology to improve
New Zealand, its important that we
strike a balance between innovation,
security and privacy protection.
Minister Bridges says the project
team worked closely with the Office of
the Privacy Commissioner to address
any privacy concerns in developing the
new system.
I appreciate that some people may
have concerns around privacy, which
is why the phones location services are
switched on only when the 111 call is
made and then returned to the callers
original settings within 25 seconds
of the 111 call being initiated. All
location data will only be held for 60
minutes and will then be deleted, Mr
Bridges said.
12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz
housing prices wont be affected
SANDEEP SINGH Auckland house prices over the last eight
M
inister of Finance Steven Joyce has months with both bright-line test and LVRs have
been flat to falling, the Minister said.
brought some serenity to an otherwise
anxious immigration debate in New Similarly, denying any further ammunition
to the detractors of the government on what
Zealand by saying that overall we have got right
is beginning to be perceived as an open door
immigration numbers, and there isnt much
immigration policy, the Minister asserted that
upside in the housing market at the moment.
overall we have got the right numbers.
Seemingly, a widely-perceived causal linkage
When you look at [what bodies like] IMF and
between historic net immigration and the heated-
Moody reviewing New Zealand economy says that
up housing market, particularly in Auckland, has
one of the reasons why NZ is growing well and
been at the centre of the current immigration
adding jobs is because companies are able to hire
debate prompting many political parties to call for
skilled workers both domestically and offshore.
a massive purge of immigration numbers by tens
of thousands. Thats quite important otherwise that growth
will occur somewhere else, the Minister asserted.
The Minister was speaking earlier today atTHE
AM SHOWonNewshubabout the latest report Allaying growing fears among some quarters,
of International Monetary Fund (IMF) on New that increasing number of the incoming skilled
workforce from offshore might be contributing
Zealand economy.
in pressurising the infrastructure, the Minister
The IMF report has rated the New Zealand
economy as strong, however suggesting that record pointed out that its about a balance.
[infrastructure] things have to be built at the
immigration could re-ignite the housing market.
The report is also recommending new taxes same time.
to cool housing speculation - another topic of The fact of the matter is that the New Zealand
economy is performing one of the best in the
interest for the opposition parties.
OECD countries.
The Labour Party has consistently criticised
the government for its perceived inability to stop The Aussie budget came out last night and if
speculation in the housing market, particularly you put the two countries side by side then we are
from overseas-based investors, which according to getting a stronger growth, a more employment
them are one of the main reasons for shooting up
growth and a low unemployment rate and one
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years. It does not apply to a persons main home. as a skilled worker in New Zealand.
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Remembering Shalvin Prasad
through a friendly football match
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
I
n the late 2012, a 21-year old
Shalvin Prasad - resident of Flat
Bush - was deceitfully killed by two
of his friends who were trying to fraud
him of $30,000 cash. Shalvins charred
body was discovered on a rural road in
Kingseat on January 31, 2013.
The story had then grappled the
community and Aucklanders alike,
for not only the fate of young life
lost so early but also for the element
of treachery and deceit involved in
the act.
The life has moved on so much since
then, but not for the family of the ill-
fated boy.
The family came together with
Counties Manukau MPES Team
and the Cane Cutters Club members
(NZ Police Staff from Fiji) on Sunday,
May 7, to organise a friendly football
match in the memory of slain Shalvin
Prasad at the Centre Park Grounds in
East Mangere.
Every year we organise a football
match remembering our beloved
Shalvin. He was cheerful, enthusiastic,
decent and a great sportsperson,
Pravin Prasad, Shalvins elder brother
WITH A 10% DEPOSIT
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www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
Pravin Prasad with Shalvins portrait at
the ground
told Indian Weekender.
He loved football, if, given the
opportunity, he would have played
soccer all his life, Pravin added.
The football match gathered the
support of more than 100 community
members who attended the event in
memory of Shalvin Prasad. The match
was played between the teams Shals
family, friends, and Manukau United.
Manukau United is a social team;
I, Shalvin and our dad played for this
team for about 15-years. Every Sunday,
we get together and have a game, and
this is how we wanted to celebrate and
remember Shalvin, Pravin said.
What better way to remember
Shalvin than doing that one thing he
loved the most, he added.
My son was a great soul, he was
smart, empathetic and everybody loved
him, Shammi Prasad, Shalvins mother
who is now a police employee said.
I thank my friends and community
members for coming today and making
this event a success, Shalvin will always
be alive in our hearts, Pravin said.
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NEW ZEALAND 9
Humm FMs Light Of Hope
raises more than $18,000
IWK BUREAU
M
ore young people
living with cancer
will have access
to special services provided
by Canteen, thanks to the
generosity of the listeners of
Humm FM 106.2.
Humm FM embarked on
a special campaign last week
where listeners donated cash
through various platforms
over three days.
Humm FM Light of Hope
commenced on Thursday,
May 4 from 6:15 a.m. to 6
p.m. on Saturday, May 6. The proud Humm FM team
The Humm FM and Canteen team members
were positioned with donation buckets at different Ms Prasad said Humm FM, apart from providing
locations in the city between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the best radio programs, is also committed to
collected funds for the cause.
working for and with the community.
A total of $18,480.62 was raised during the The campaign came up at the right time when
campaign, and all funds have been handed over to
Humm FM had recorded the highest listenership
Canteen. by any Indian radio in Auckland and the right way
Humm FM Director, Roshila Prasad said
to celebrate it was to give something back to the
they have been incredibly overwhelmed by the
community. According to the latest GFK survey
generosity, listeners have shown. results, Humm FM has recorded over 47,000
Listeners have always opened up their hearts to
listeners, Ms Prasad said.
give to the worthy cause. We had set a target of
Meanwhile, CanTeens Northern Regional
$10,000, but the listeners took it beyond $18,000,
Ms Prasad said. Manager, Graeme Thorpe said this is the first time
any radio station has come forward to help them.
Humm FM in the past has also run other
He said the response to the campaign has been
successful campaigns such as 55 Hours Christmas
beyond his expectations.
For Kids where Humm FM team members went
live for continuous 55 hours to collect gifts for kids. Apart from raising the much-needed funds,
All gifts raised in the last two years were given to the campaign has created a lot of awareness on
Auckland City Mission and Salvation Army for cancer. CanTeen, which supports young people
distribution. The Humm FM team members also living with cancer, has received no funding from
went on a water diet to raise funds for the victims of the government and money raised through Humm
Cyclone Winston Fiji in 2016. The campaign raised FMs Light Of Hope campaign will go a long way
over FJ$30,000 which were handed over to Fiji Red in helping many young people who need their
Cross Society. support, Mr Thorpe said.
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10 NEW ZEALAND
Investing to change lives
Bill English
Prime Minister
D
elivering better public services that
improve New Zealanders lives is one
of the National-led Governments
top priorities.
The Better Public Services targets we
introduced in 2012 have delivered tangible
and long-lasting results such as reduced
welfare dependency, better educational
achievement, improved healthcare and less
serious crime.
Each of these represents real and positive
change - but I believe there is always more
we can do.
And our growing economy and clear
economic plan give us a rare opportunity
to achieve things we simply hadnt thought
possible ten years ago.
We can make genuine improvements to
even the most challenged lives and we can set
our country up for real and sustained success.
Last week I outlined a new set of 10
targets which establish the Governments
expectations for the public service, and
build on the success of the initial targets set
in 2012.
The new targets will focus on improving
maths and literacy in primary schools,
getting better health outcomes for new mums
and their children, reducing child abuse and
serious crime.
They also aim to further reduce the
number of people who depend on welfare
and cut the time it takes people to access
social housing.
Every six months we will publish a progress
update, so you can see exactly how your
money is making a difference, and how lives
are changing.
I also announced that Budget 2017 will
include a $321 million Social Investment
Package, with 14 initiatives designed to
support some of our most vulnerable
New Zealanders.
Social investment is about tackling our
most challenging social issues intervening
early to help the most at-risk New Zealanders
lead better lives.
A key part of the package is for children
most at risk of long-term disadvantage. Some
$68.8 million will be used to support children
with behavioural issues, communication
problems or challenging family environments.
Investing early in these children will
help them overcome barriers to leading
successful lives.
This Government is committed to funding
initiatives across the social system that
really work.
That is why Budget 2017 will include the
most rigorous investment criteria ever used
to ensure funding goes to evidence-based
proposals that deliver long-run benefits for
vulnerable people and for taxpayers.
In Budget 2017 we set a challenge to
Government agencies show us it will work
and we will pay for it.
This National-led Government is
determined to grasp the opportunities that
a strong economy offers, including tacking
some of our most pressing social issues, so
everyone can share in New Zealands success.
12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz
KiwiSaver HomeStart helping Kiwis
to their first homes
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National List MP
N
ational values home ownership -
it provides stability for families,
strength for communities and
security in retirement.
We are working hard so that more people
can achieve the Kiwi dream of owning their
own home.
The latest Housing New Zealand Financial
Products Quarterly Report Governments
KiwiSaver HomeStart scheme is delivering
for first home buyers and is helping more
New Zealanders into home ownership.
The scheme provides three different
programmes. New home buyers can
receive grants of up to $10,000 for an
existing home and $20,000 for a new one.
It is complemented by enabling first home
buyers to access their KiwiSaver funds and a
government guarantee for bank loans, called
Welcome Home loan.
The support provided for all three
programmes has grown strongly since the
scheme was launched two years ago.
The Housing New Zealand Financial
Products Quarterly Report shows the scheme
has helped more first home buyers overcome
the most difficult hurdle of pulling together
the funds for a deposit.
11,943 first home buyers received
assistance with $55.6 million in grants in year
one, and a further 15,038 buyers received
$72.9 million in grants in year two.
The scheme is forecast to grow around
$100 million next year, and is on target to
help 90,000 first home buyers with $435
million in grants over five years.
The report also shows that the value and
proportion of the HomeStart grants being
used for new home purchases is growing.
In year one, $9.35 million was used for new
homes, or 17 per cent.
This has increased to 22 per cent in year two,
with $15.7 million being used for new homes.
The use of KiwiSaver funds for purchasing
a home has also trebled in the past three
years - from $201 million in the year prior
to HomeStart, to $627 million in the year to
March 2017.
KiwiSaver HomeStart is the most generous
government support for home buyers in more
than a generation, with grants for first home
buyers and enabling access to KiwiSaver
funds.
The scheme has helped 26,981 first
home buyers, with over $128 million
in grants over the past two years.
This reflects how KiwiSaver is becoming an
increasingly important part of the solution for
getting young people into home ownership.
The governments housing policies are
working, with strong growth in new home
building and stabilisation in house prices.
 www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
NEW ZEALAND 11

Housing is more affordable for renters Youth Sports Carnival

than for first home buyers: MBIE report ahead of Ramadan
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD year, Unity Cup, which is held in

T
IWK BUREAU April-May and Eid Cup, just after

A
new report released by
the Ministry of Business,
Innovation & Employment
(MBIE) today, has confirmed the
long felt fear that the market is
currently skewed unfavourably
towards the renters than the
first homebuyers.
A new approach to measuring
housing affordability will provide
important information to support
Government and other stakeholder
decisions on housing, MBIE
Deputy Chief Executive Building,
Resources and Markets, Chris
Bunny said today when releasing
the Housing Affordability Measure.
Following a review of the
Official Statistics System in August
2012, Cabinet directed MBIE
to develop a statistic on housing
affordability, because none of
the existing housing affordability
MBIE developed the Housing
Affordability Measure using
a robust collaborative process
with Statistics New Zealand and
key technical stakeholders, Mr
Bunny said.
The measure provides a picture
of shifts in affordability, broken
down by the local council and by
The results of this first measure
cover the period March 2003
to June 2015, with new releases
planned for quarterly intervals.
The findings of this first Housing
Affordability Measure show that
housing is more affordable for
renters than for first homebuyers.
The report also confirms that the
he bi-annual youth carnival
of the Muslim community
organised by New Zealand
Muslim Sports Association
(NZMSA) is scheduled to be held
on Sunday, May 14 at Rangomai
Park in Flat Bush.
The carnival will host a number
of activities for the age group 8
and 18 years such as football match
for a team U-10 and U13 with
teams of 7 on each side and U16
and U18 with 11-players in each
team. There will be the tug-of-war,
entertainment for the children and
food stalls for the visitors.
NZMSA in association with
Federation of Islamic Association
of New Zealand (FIANZ) hosts
two community sports events every
Indian High Commission gears
up for International Yoga Day
IWK BUREAU to bring their own mats.
the Eid-ul-Adha festival.
The event is set to bring more
than 150 young athletes to the
bi-annual sporting event. The
carnival will also host Dawah-
Quran competition on Sunday
in which children can participate
in the Quran recitation, and
Naat recitation.
We want to get the community
members to come out encourage the
youth and the children competing
at the sporting event. It will be a
fun day for the families and a great
time to spend with the community
just ahead of Ramadan, which
starts in the last week of May,
Shaheem Rahmani, Chairman of
the Tournament said.

measures captured the state of
housing affordability at a detailed
level, Mr Bunny said.
Using household-level data
from the Statistics New Zealand
Integrated Data Infrastructure
(IDI), the Housing Affordability
Measure provides a more accurate
picture of how much New
Zealanders spend on housing, and
tracks whether housing is becoming
more or less affordable over time
for renters and aspiring first
home buyers.
ward in Auckland. This robust
measurement of how much income
households have left after their basic
household costs have been paid will
inform policies and decisions for
Kiwis and their housing.
The more finely detailed
information about smaller
areas available in the Housing
Affordability Measure can also be
of use to the Government, local
authorities and other organisations
with an interest in housing
affordability, Mr Bunny said.
Auckland market continues to be
challenging for first homebuyers.
MBIE is releasing the Housing
Affordability Measure today as
an experimental statistical series,
which means it will continue to be
refined to ensure it remains fit-for-
purpose and that results are robust
and meaningful. We will work with
Statistics New Zealand to refine the
measure and get it adopted as part
of the official statistics system. Mr
Bunny said.
H
International Day of Yoga
igh Commission of
India is going to host the will also be celebrated in other
International Day of Yoga important cities in New Zealand
on Sunday, June 18, in Wellington. like Auckland, Christchurch and
Recognising Yogas universal others in collaboration with the
appeal, the United Nations had on Indian diaspora associations.
December 11, 2014, proclaimed Event details:
June 21, as International Yoga
Day by resolution 69/131. Date:18 June 2017 (Sunday)
Venue: Bharat Bhawan, 48
This year High Commission of
India is celebrating International Kemp Street, Kilbirnie Wellington
Yoga Day on Sunday, June 18, Time:10:30 am 11:30 am
at Bharat Bhawan in Wellington. Free:Registration required
The participants are encouraged Action Required:Please bring
your own mats!

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12 NEW ZEALAND 12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

News-in-brief
from South Island

Christchurchs Holi team Upcoming events in Christchurch

Indian Social and Cultural Club
helps schools in India and NZ Connects meet, greet and sangeet

E
stablished in 1997, the Indian Social and Cultural Club (ISCC) in
Christchurch, is organising ISCC Connects 2017 this Saturday. With
the tagline as meet, greet and sangeet, the organisers informed
that the evening will be an informal fun-filled affair with games of all
sorts including the very Indian Antakshari, and Bollywood quiz, followed
by dinner.

Sahayaatas forum for South Asian

women on how to fight out the
depression that migration brings

Children with their new lunch boxes at Shanti Niketan Higher Secondary School in Bhopal
F
ollowing from a highly-
successful Holi this year,
the team behind the free
community event attended by over
6,000 people across communities
this March, has fulfilled their
in Bhopal, India. While Allenvale
got cash donation, Shanti Niketans
60-odd students got shining new
lunch boxes.
Mr Hitesh Sharma, co-partner
Otakaro Limited, informed, It
was always our intention to donate
a part of the proceeds from colour
and t-shirt sales to charitable
causes working for children welfare
in India and New Zealand. We
T
he monthly meeting of a recently-launched coffee club by the
Christchurch-based Indian Cultural Group and community
organisation Sahaayta, will focus this Saturday on ways and means
to fight depression caused by leaving your homeland and migrating to a
foreign country. The speaker this time is Ms Kala Nand, a local community
leader from Fiji, who also organises free weekly Hindi classes for children
of Indian origin in the city. While women from Afganistan, Bangladesh,
Philippines, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and India are the target groups,
the invite is open to all, informed Sahaaytas co-ordinator in Canterbury
Nimi Bedi.
Launch of Christchurch City Councils
multicultural strategy - a major
milestone in the Citys route to
ethnic diversity

promise of giving back to
the community.
A fraction of the proceeds have
been distributed to Allenvale
School in Christchurch, and Shanti
Niketan Higher Secondary School
in Revel Events, a Christchurch-
based event management
company, which organised the
event partnering with Christchurch
Multicultural Council (CMC),
Christchurch City Council, and
the citys new Crown company
C
covered two schools this time hristchurch City Mayor, Lianne Dalziel will be launching the
around and hope to increase the Christchurch Multicultural Strategy - Our Future Together, at
number substantially in the years
Rehua Marae, this Saturday. This is in line with the Councils
to come.
commitment to the collective responsibility of making sure that everyone
feels welcomed and a part of a richly diverse city, informed the organisers.

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 www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
Kiwi Indian MPs bill to
enrol newborns could
become new law
P
arliament has accepted a new bill from
a Kiwi-Indian MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar
about registering all newborn children in
New Zealand with a GP within six weeks from
their birth.
Dr Parmjeet Parmars Newborn Enrolment
with General Practice Bill was drawn in the
Parliamentary Ballot today and will be introduced
for its first reading.
The bill requires all newborns to be enrolled
with a general practice and primary health
organisation before his or her first immunisation at
six weeks of age, Dr Parmar says.
The proposed law change is mostly a guide for
doctors than being a compulsory measure for the
families of newborns. Enrolment with a general
practice provides families with improved access
to immunisation for their newborns and the
opportunity for earlier detection of health and
social issues.
It is important that our children receive the
best start in life, and the Government is working
hard to provide high-quality health services for
Kiwi families. Our immunisation programme is
already protecting thousands of young babies
from potentially life-threatening illnesses. We have
also introduced free GP visits and prescriptions for
all children under 13, as well as free after-hours
services, Dr Parmar said.
NEW ZEALAND 13
Mara Var No Varghodo
returns on popular demand
SWATI SHARMA
N
ot that one needs a reason to
be happy, but Aucklanders
are now set to experience
comedy extravaganza with upcoming
comedy production.
Popular Gujarati comedy production
Mara Var No Varghodo is back to take you on
a non-stop laughter ride. The full-length
comedy play is ready to give the Gujarati
patron a taste of their homeland.
After three full-house shows in 2011,
Mara Var No Varghodo (meaning my
husbands wedding procession) is returning
on May 27- 28 and will be performed at
Green Bay High School Performing Arts
The cast and crew are all excited to
Centre, 161 Godley Road, Auckland.
showcase the evergreen production and
The play is quite high on the comedy
is ready to give an opportunity for the
quotient and is sure to leave you in splits
diaspora to see a high-quality production.
just like it was seen in the last three
This play is not to be missed if you want
shows. It is not only a comedy but also
to enjoy a relaxing laughter-filled evening
has a message for everyone to take home
and the surprise elements in the play.
with them.
The Gujarati theatre productions
The tickets are available at the
in Auckland have increased manifolds
following outlets:
as compared to a few years back. The
Travel Corner Limited
team says that unlike other Gujarati Dominion Road, Mt. Eden
productions in the past, this play has no Eggs & More, Sandringham
language barrier. Anyone who knows Yogi Jis Food Marti, Mt. Roskill
Unique Beauty & Hair, Mt. Roskill
Gujarati, Hindi or Marathi would be able
Giriraj Food & Spices, Avondale
to understand and enjoy it. Patel Brothers Indian Supermarket,
Scripted by Jayesh Bateriwala, the play Northshore
features renowned theatre artistes from Or call Jayesh Bateriwala021 150 4149
Diwaker, Kuntal Trivedi, Chirag Solanki, or Ram Iyer 021 529 982 for
Auckland including Rupal Solanki, Jayesh Sachin Purohit, Prashant Belwalkar, more information
Bateriwala, Jyotsana Trivedi, Shweta Richisha Desai and Sidhhraj Solanki.
 14 FIJI
NZ and Fiji continue to share expertise
T
he Fiji Revenue and
Customs Authority (FRCA)
is determined to continue
its partnership with the New
Zealand Customs Service (NZCS)
in ensuring that expertise is shared
regionally and collaborative projects
are developed.
These were the words of New
Zealand's High Commissioner to
Fiji, Mark Ramsden, during the
opening ceremony of the Pacific
Leadership Programme (PLP) in
Suva last week.
PLP was initiated in 2012 as
an opportunity for members of
Customs services from across the
Pacific to build on their knowledge
and expertise on becoming great
leaders and decision-makers in
the workplace. The workshop is
Fiji, Australia air deal
A
ustralia and Fiji have agreed
to increase passenger and
freight capacity for their
designated airlines.
This is a result of a recent
successful air services meeting by
both governments in Suva.
The Fijian delegation was led by
Sharvada Sharma, the Solicitor-
General and Permanent Secretary
responsible for civil aviation
who said: The discussions were
conducted in a very open and
friendly manner and due to Fiji
being a popular holiday destination
for Australians and the increased
demand for seats between the two
countries, we have agreed to an
additional entitlement of 500 seats
per week for each country, which
will provide for an extra 1000 seats
per week in the market.
Both parties have also agreed
Fiji releases $7 note celebrating rugby
teams 2016 Olympic gold medal
Commemorative note for victory in Rio is companion to new coin
T
wo million pieces of a
legal tender, circulating $7
commemorative bank note
celebrating Fijis gold medal in the
Rugby Sevens competition at the
2016 Rio Olympics were released
by the Reserve Bank of Fiji on
April 21.
The odd denomination (each the
equivalent of $3.40 in U.S. funds) is
in recognition of the sport, in which
the nation excels.
This is the first Fiji bank note
on which one side is oriented
horizontally but the other
side vertically.
The primary color is blue,
corresponding to Fijis flag. An
action portrait of Rugby Sevens
Olympic Captain Osea Kolinisau
is its main image, with the nations
flag in the background.
Also shown, in smaller detail,
is coach Ben Ryan sitting in the
Sigatoka Sand Dunes National
Park, as well as a diagram of a play.
The reverse of the bank note
features a group portrait of the
New Zealands High Commissioner to
Fiji, Mark Ramsden
conducted by NZCS and a private
training provider brought in from
New Zea-land. Mr Ramsden said
NZCS had a lot of shared interests
to double the freight capacity from
70 to 140 tonnes per week for each
country.
Stephen Borthwick, acting
executive director, Aviation
and Airports, Department of
Infrastructure and Regional
Development, led the Australian
delegation and said: The
discussions built on the close
aviation relationship between Fiji
and Australia and will provide
additional opportunities for airlines
to strengthen business and tourism
links between our two countries.
The executive general manager,
Corporate Affairs for Fiji Airways,
Shaenaz Voss was pleased with
the outcome of the negotiations
and stated that: Fiji Airways is
committed to expanding its network
and growing the number of visitors
to Fiji.
Fijians who
wish to travel
to India have
to apply for
a visa
The two sides of Fijis new $7 bill. (Right): The two sides of Fijis commemora-
tive coin minted in honour of their Olympic gold-winning rugby sevens
team.
Fiji Rugby Sevens gold-winning
Olympians with the prime minister
of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama,
and team officials.
Optically Variable Ink is used
on the face of the note in the
12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz
around Customs as countries in the
Pacific also shared the same risks
in Customs.
"In this programme, we've got
participants from the Solomon
Islands, New Caledonia, and the
New Zealand Immigration Service
joining us so, it's truly a regional
initiative," he said.
"It sits within a whole lot of other
positive pieces of collaboration
of different parts of the Fiji Gov-
ernment and the New Zealand
Government."
Mr Ramsden said they
had collaborative work with
Fiji to ensure Customs is
properly monitored.
"A great example is of the work
that Fiji police and FIRCA had
conducted with New Zealand po-
Australia is a vital destination in
our network and this is a significant
step forward, providing more
travel opportunities for Fijians and
Australians.
Both governments have also
agreed to update their air services
agreement, which was initially
signed in 1982, and to hold further
discussions on more flexible code
sharing arrangements including
form of a round gold
patch, depicting the
gold medal, with the
Reserve Bank of Fiji logo
added along with the
year 2016.
lice and NZCS to getting a capable
detector dog at Nadi that worked on
making radical seizures and this will
extend to Suva shortly," he said.
FRCA chief executive officer
Visvanath Das said the training
would go on for one week per
month for the next eight months.
"The good thing about this
project is you go back to your
workplace, implement things and
then come back to report, validated
by evidence. So the success of their
work is monitored," he said.
"This would transform the
managing of changes for the better
by providing the much needed tools
for managing changes, managing
transformations, people and of
course various other leadership
tools essential for the workplace."
third party code shares between the
two countries.
A report by 9news.com.au
states that Australias Transport
Minister Darren Chester said the
long sought-after arrangement
of about 10 per cent increase in
passenger capacity and a doubling
of air freight capacity would
boost a $4.2 billion tourism and
trade relationship.
Fiji attracts
film-makers
F
ijs incentives for movie
makers from India have been
a driving force for Indian
travellers to make the long haul trip
to the South Pacific.
Wingspan Group director
Tasneem Udaipurwala said the
growing Indian market in Fiji had
attracted a lot of attention in India.
The Mumbai-based travel agent
said Fiji had drawn a lot of attention
from the Indian market because of
the incentives for Bollywood and
Tamil film-makers.
"We sell a lot of luxury travel
packages and Fiji has been a very
interesting prospect for us and we
have been looking at this market
for a number of years now," said
the travel agent who is one of 160
international sellers at the 2017
Fijian Tourism Expo in Nadi.
"Another thing that my company
does and something that we are
acutely interested in Fiji is film
shoots and Fiji has been on our
radar for a long time.
There have been a lot of
movies already shot here but I
think there is potential for a lot
more and that again can be a great
form of marketing from a tourism
perspective for Fiji.
"We started looking at Fiji about
five years ago when Tourism
Fiji and Film Fiji came to India
and an-nounced their incentive
which was really attractive to the
Indian market.
"It was really practical and
immediately there were film shoots
here in Fiji and we were very happy
about that."
Ms Udaipurwala is part of a large
contingent from India attending
the Expo at the Sheraton Resort
and Spa Convention Centre on
Denarau Island.
F
ijians who wish to travel to
India have to apply for a visa.
Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi had announced
in a statement that there would
be visa on arrival for Fijians in
November 2014.
The Indian High Commission
says people have to apply for a visa
online and the result will be notified
to the applicant within 72 hours.
We have sent questions to the
Indian High Commission on when
this initiative will be implemented.
 www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
FIJI 15

Big plans for solar power in Fiji

A
renewable energy company The company also intend to construct
specialising in solar, has made solar power plants in the country, he said.
presentations in the country to He added that the company intends to set
stakeholders to work with them and assist up a solar panel manufacturing plant in Fiji,
them to adopt solar to generate electricity. the first in the South Pacific.
The New Zealand based company, Green We have embarked We
Solar 24 Limited, has already got its presence on sourcing a suitable have
in various parts of the world, including South location for that Plant embarked on
East Asia, the UAE and Jordan. and have already sourcing a suitable
Director Reginald Tora, said the company earmarked a few sites location for that Plant
will work closely with everyone concerned, in the Nadi /Lautoka, and have already
including the business sector to introduce regions, said Mr earmarked a few sites
mobile solar technology in the country in Tora. in the Nadi /Lautoka, components, to make it affordable other South Pacific Islands.
partnership with its German partners. They will provide regions to the locals, and will also provide Fiji will be the hub and we intend to
It will also package solutions in the fields of panels with the latest employment to them. further put Fiji on the international radar as
LED and solar street lighting for the nation technology, drastically The Company plans to expand its the leader in the fight against climate change,
and solar for marine vessels. reduce the cost of panels and solar production capacity and export the panels to said Mr Tora.

NZ eye
specialists to
serve Northern
interiors

E
ye doctors from New Zealand will be
arriving in July and for the first time,
are expected to reach as far as Saqani
in Cakaudrove and Nabouwalu in Bua.
This would give an opportunity for people
in the rural interior areas of the Northern
Division to have their eyes examined, receive
glasses if they have eyesight problems and
even get eye op-erations, all which will be
for free.
This was confirmed by the Lions
Club of Labasa president, Mohammed
Imraan Rizwaan.
He said: The team is scheduled to arrive
in July and when they come this year, we
have sched-uled for the team to reach as far
as Nabouwalu, Bua and Saqani, Cakaudrove
for the first time. Diwali
The main intention is to decentralise
their services so people in the rural areas can Hong Kong Airlines 1525* Specials
access what this team has to offer.

Air China 1500*

He said an eye specialist team would be in

Air India 1095*

the division for two weeks.
The first week they would be doing
outreach along areas from Coqeloa to Saqani
and then the second week, they will attend to China Eastern 1480* China Southern 1085*
Singapore 1020*plus taxes
areas from Labasa towards Nabouwalu.
Some of these people cannot come to the

Korean Air 1022*

hospital, so what we do is that we reach out
to them. Sometimes they cannot afford to

Thai Airways 1390*

purchase glasses to aid with their sight and
some cannot get to the hospital to get their
eyes operated on.So the services offered by China Eastern 1035*
this team coming in from overseas are free Malaysia Airlines 1125*
of charge, and we want people to see again Jet Airways 1125*
if their visions are being affected. While one
of their main intentions is for the eye clinic,
other members in the team are here for other
diseases and health issues.
He said they had confirmed upon which
villages they would be stopping in to set up
their tents at during their tour, which will be
announced at a later date.
Every year we try and widen our coverage
so we are able to help people in the outer
areas. This team will also be visiting Mali
Island in Macuata, Mr Rizwaan said.
I am urging people when they do arrive,
please make use of their services.
 Thought of the week
The world breaks everyone and
Editorial af ter ward many are strong at the
broken places. Anonymous
A call for urgent change
in the police response Auckland Weather forecast for the week May 13 - May 19

system to robberies Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri

I
t will be surreal to expect that all those who attended last weeks public meeting where
community leaders, police and Members of Parliament had met together on Sunday,
May 8, to discuss the rising incidences of robberies and assault would have come out of Sunny Mostly Sun Cloudy Mostly Cloud Clouds
the meeting with a sense of satisfaction. and Sunny through and cloudy and sun and
After all, it is not every day that one in the community sees Members of Parliament of breezy high windy with a with a sunshine
all political parties, along with other Members of Parliament especially from the regions in clouds with shower shoerr
Auckland widely perceived to be the biggest victim of aggravated robberies come together showers
to delve into the situation. 16 17 17 17 18 16 16
8 11 11 11 12 10 10
Therefore, the confusion or bewilderment or the sense of exasperation as experienced by
many after the meeting was much expected.
However, it is to the credit of Crime Prevention Group and the movers behind this group
to have brought together such a battery of community leaders, Members of Parliament This week in New Zealands history
and the police on one platform.
At least, this will drive home to lawmakers the seriousness and sense of frustration within 13 May 1995
the small business owners who are at the forefront of rising incidences of assault and New Zealand wins the Americas Cup
robbery in the community.
Few New Zealanders in 1995 could have avoided television commentator Peter
The meeting was on expected lines with shopkeepers continuing to put forward demands Montgomerys famous line, the Americas Cup is now New Zealands cup! The phrase was
for heavy penalties for resellers of stolen goods, the right for shop owners to defend
repeated endlessly as New Zealand enjoyed one of its most significant sporting triumphs.
themselves and a larger police presence on the streets.
Sunny Kaushal, the president of the Crime Prevention Group exclaimed, Each day
13 May 1936
begins with fear [of facing an assault at work].
David Yang, representing the Chinese community in the meeting emphasised the
National Party founded
urgent need for lawmakers to review and toughen the laws against offenders. Following their crushing defeat by
The lawmakers responded around their respective party lines. the Labour Party in the 1935 general
The National MPs blamed the dysfunctional families, the Labour and the Green Party election, the remnants of the United
blamed the increasing poverty and growing gap between rich and poor as the cause driving Reform coalition government met in
young offenders. Wellington on 1314 May 1936 to
Act Party identified tobacco tax, and the NZ First added: increasing population as establish a new anti-socialist party.
what they believed as the factors propelling the incidences of aggravated robberies.
Another point of divergence among political parties was around the actual police 14 May 1941
numbers on the streets. While the National Party seems to reiterate about their recent $500 New Zealand minesweeper sunk near Hauraki Gulf
million investment in increasing police numbers, the NZ First still wanted 1800 police HMS Puriri was a converted 927-ton Anchor Company coaster that was commissioned into
recruits. the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla on 19 April 1941.
The Labour Party, apart from continuing to pledge 1000 new recruits emphasised on
community patrols and the opening of closed police stations in the community. 16 May 1981
However, despite these visible divergences in responses of Members of Parliament All Whites beat Australia on road to Spain
towards the incidences of crime, one consolable convergence in this election year was on
The New Zealand football teams 20 victory in Sydney was a defining moment in an epic
the plain acknowledgement of the increase in crime by one and all.
qualifying campaign for the 1982 World Cup finals.
Almost everyone, from the National Party in the government to the Labours, Greens, Act
and the NZ First conceded the recent spurt in attacks on shopkeepers and retailers, which
in itself is a good outcome from the meeting. Indian Weekender : Volume 9 Issue 08
An honest acknowledgement of the problem is much needed to necessitate immediate Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
remedial actions. Managing Editor: Bhav Dhillon | bhav@indianweekender.co.nz
Expectedly, the meeting has some high tensile moment when Act leader David Seymour Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz
and NZ Firsts Winston Peters chose to engage in a casual war of words about describing Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | swati@indianweekender.co.nz
the severity of the problem and proposing remedies to them. Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief ReporterSouth Island: Gaurav Sharma
Given that, both Act and NZ First are known to have limited presence within the ethnic
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
communities such a display of passion and temper was unsurprising.
Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
Its another matter that the NZ Herald had recently reported after the event that NZ Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz
Firsts influence in the ethnic Chinese community is on the rise. Accounts and Admin.: 09-6366306 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz
It is important to note that the recent spurt in incidences of aggravated robberies has Sales and Distribution: 022 3251630 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz
coincided with the election year, which gives communities and action groups like crime
prevention group best chance to be heard by the lawmakers and authorities. Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication
Against this backdrop, some more concerted actions can be expected in the near future
from the crime prevention group, at least until there is a marked change in the numbers Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
of aggravated robberies or there is an immediate change in the current police response the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
system to the incidences of robberies. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Indias NPA problem has a flip side to it the
issue of rising corporate debts
AMIT KAPOOR
T
he IMF, in its latest Global
Financial Stability Report,
warned that rising corporate
debts were a risk to growth in
emerging markets and pointed
out that Indias debt is one of the
highest among these economies.
In fact, in 2016-17, trading
in corporate debt securities at
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
and national Stock exchange (NSE)
shot up by 44 per cent.
There is a deep underlying
problem within the system that
is causing this issue of rising
debt, which is so commonplace
in corporate practices that it is
often overlooked: The goal of
maximising shareholder value.
In a recent speech at the
University of Virginia, Infosys co-
founder N.R. Narayana Murthy
said that good governance
is all about maximising
shareholder value.
The statement was not always
passed around as truism till a few
decades ago. The phenomenon
first arose in the developed world
and India merely imported
these corporate practices. In
the immediate post-War era,
the role of shareholders was
restricted and the managers
of large corporations enjoyed
relative autonomy.
The financial sector was
strictly regulated and limits were
imposed on the movement of
capital. Corporations tended
to retain the profit they earned
and the people they employed
Modis war on black money incomplete without taxing farm income
AMIT KAPOOR
T
axing agricultural income
has always been a politically
sensitive topic in India. This
was evident last week after NITI
Aayog member Bibek Debroy
spoke in favour of this above a
certain threshold. Immediate
clarifications followed that the
official stance was not the same.
Throughout the history of
independent India, similar
suggestions have met the same fate.
Most famously, B.R. Ambedkar,
who was critical of the land
revenue system of the British,
supported a progressive tax on
agricultural income. More recently,
the Economic Survey of 2016
suggested similarly.
In short, the topic of agricultural
taxation is neither new nor without
merit and should not be dismissed
as such. The first argument in
favour of such taxation is that an
exemption in the sector allows non-
agricultural entities to evade taxes
by declaring agriculture as their
source of income. This undermines
any effort to curb the circulation of
black money in the economy. Post-
demonetisation, a Parliamentary
panel raised concerns that there
was a rise in the number of cases
www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
-- and they reinvested this profit shareholder revolution by a
in accumulating physical and marked shift in their strategy.
human capital. In the 1960s and William Lazonick and Mary
1970s, this strategy of retain and OSullivan famously wrote in
reinvest hit a roadblock due to a 2000: In the name of creating
massive growth of corporations. shareholder value, the period
Through mergers and following the hostile takeover
movement witnessed a marked
acquisitions, corporations grew
too big with too many divisions shift in the strategic orientation
of top corporate managers in the
in different kinds of businesses.
Following this, there occurred allocation of corporate resources
two institutional changes that and returns away from retain and
aligned the managements interests reinvest and towards downsize and returns away
with that of the shareholders: and distribute.
Development of new financial Under the new regime,
instruments like junk bonds top managers downsize the
and tender offers that allowed corporations they control, with
hostile takeovers and changes in a particular emphasis on cutting
compensation of managers who the size of the labour forces they
were offered performance-related employ, in an attempt to increase
pay schemes and stock options. the return on equity.
The 1970s also witnessed the It has been empirically
financial and banking deregulation shown that reduction in force
of the American economy, which announcements have a positive
would help hostile takeovers in the effect on share prices. Rational
next decade by allowing the risky pursuit of these managers led
trade in junk bonds -- a corporate them to do whatever they could to
or government bond that the bond- keep the stock prices up and the
rating agencies consider being shareholders happy.
below investment grade. There was a rise in dividends
Managers responded to the paid out to shareholders and
with farm income higher than Rs on such a small proportion of the
1 crore. The Modi governments countrys population.
fight against black money will Fourth, a uniform taxation
be rendered incomplete if the of agricultural income across
agricultural sector is not brought the country will eliminate the
within its ambit. competitive disadvantage farmers
Secondly, it hardly makes sense of some states face due to taxes
to keep big farmers and agricultural imposed by their state governments.
companies out of purview of the For instance, plantations in Kerala
tax department. Companies are taxed at 50 per cent,
like Kaveri Seeds The while farmers in
and multinational Modi neighbouring Tamil
Monsanto India governments Nadu pay no taxes.
claimed exemption fight against black Such a scenario
of Rs 186 crore money will be rendered hurts farming
and Rs 94 crore as incomplete if the activities in the
agricultural income agricultural sector is taxed state and
in the year 2014-15. not brought within leaves little scope for
Surely such companies its ambit agricultural growth.
and farmers owning land Finally, agriculture
above a certain threshold can acts as a depressant on
be brought under the tax net. the tax to GDP ratio of any
Third, the scale of tax exemption country due to exemptions. Indira
in the sector is such that the Rajaraman estimated in a cross-
government will have to consider country analysis of developing
levying income tax on them. Bibek countries that a one per cent
Debroy pointed out that two-thirds increase in the share of agriculture
of Indias 225 million households in GDP reduced tax revenues as
are in rural India and are effectively a percentage of GDP by a little
not taxed. Moreover, India has over a third of a percent. For a
110-120 million cultivators and developed country, where the share
a tax payer base of 64.4 million. of agriculture in GDP is quite
It is both unfair and inefficient to small, non-taxation of agriculture
impose the burden of taxation becomes a minor concern. But,
OPINION/EDITORIAL
repeated stock buy-backs to reduce
the supply of shares in the market
and artificially prop up their prices.
The shift towards shareholder
value orientation of firms has
resulted in a short-term strategy of
boosting share prices rather than a
n the
name
of creating
shareholder value,
the period following
the hostile
takeover movement
witnessed a marked
shift in the strategic
orientation of top
corporate managers
in the allocation of
corporate resources
shareholders are not an important
from retain and
reinvest and
towards downsize
and distribute
focus on long-term growth of the
firm with real investment for non-
financial firms.
Indian firms also began pursuing
this self-destructive strategy,
which ties to the corporate
debt problem that they are
currently facing and eventually
to the countrys ever-widening
NPA crisis. During the boom years
of 2004-08, Indias corporate
for a country like India, where
agriculture still accounts for about
18 percent of the GDP, the loss in
tax revenue is significant.
A major problem that arises out
of any move towards agricultural
taxation is that of the process.
An agricultural income tax
above a certain limit based on
self-declaration of income will
be difficult to verify due to the
prevalence of cash transactions
and absence of any standard
book-keeping. The few states that
have tried taxing agricultural
income since independence have
witnessed a natural evolution of
taxation towards plantation crops.
This is mainly because plantation
agriculture is the only form of
agricultural activity that has large-
scale operations, formal records of
accounts, and connection to the
banking system.
But devolving taxation powers
to local levels can be an effective
mechanism of taxing agricultural
income. First, local governments
will have a greater sense of the
ground reality of agricultural
practices. It will be difficult to
conceal farm earnings from a
local tax authority than when the
state government is in charge of
17
profit as a percentage of GDP rose
from 4.5 percent to 7.1 percent,
as per RBI data. Post-crisis,
profits immediately started falling,
eventually reaching 4.5 percent in
2014. However, between 2004 and
2014, corporate debt-to-equity
ratio consistently rose from 0.68 to
1.1. In value terms, corporate debt
rose by 8.1 times while net profit
had merely climbed 3.2 times.
It is quite clear that the debt
was not being taken for productive
purposes. On the contrary, despite
troubling times, Indian corporates
were generously handing out
dividends. Between 2011 and 2016,
the countrys top listed companies
had tripled their dividend payments
17
while their profits rose by merely
50 per cent. They were quite
honourably sticking to Narayana
Murthys idea of good governance.
This is not to argue that
constituent of a firm, but the
obsession with such a metric creates
the wrong incentives for managers.
They are forced to focus on
boosting quarterly results rather
than enhancing long-term
growth; and satisfying shareholder
needs rather than those of its
customers and employees. Today,
Indian firms are burdened with
unmanageable corporate debt
due to such misaligned goals.
Firefighting the NPA issue will not
help the economy in the long-run
if inherent corporate practices
maintain status quo
(Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute
for Competitiveness, India. The
views expressed are personal.
tax collection. Second, when the
taxpayers have the assurance that
their money will be used for local
development, or more preferably
reinvested in improving the local
agriculture sector, they will be
more compliant.
To ensure higher compliance,
expenses on inputs can also be
made deductible from income and
depreciation subject to rebates.
This will also incentivise farmers
to invest in inputs, thus boosting
agricultural productivity. Taxation
of agriculture isnt as ghastly a
proposition as it is portrayed. In
fact, it can be a blessing in disguise
for the tax authorities and for the
agricultural sector itself. More
importantly, an income threshold
will leave a majority of Indian
farmers, who have small land
holdings, unaffected. According to
the Agricultural Census 2010-11,
95 per cent of Indian farmers has
operational holdings below four
hectares. The case for not taxing
agricultural income is weak and
only the fear of being perceived
as anti-farmer has been holding
political parties back. The key is
to change the narrative around
making such a move by highlighting
its inherent benefits.
 18 INDIA 12 May 2017| www.iwk.co.nz

PM Modi calls for setting NEWS in BRIEF

up model solar cities Indias rise a very welcome

P development: Foreign Minister

rime Minister Narendra

Modi has called for setting
up some model solar cities
where power requirement is
fulfilled solely by solar energy, an
official statement said.
Modi, who reviewed progress of
key infrastructure sectors including
petroleum and natural gas, power,
renewable energy and housing,
also called for greater emphasis
on ethanol blending, said a PMO
release on Tuesday, adding that the
review meeting came soon after
the review of connectivity-related
infrastructure sectors in the last
week of April.
"The Prime Minister called for
establishment of some model solar
cities, where the power requirement
is fulfilled solely by solar energy,"
it said. Modi said a similar effort
can be made to make certain
localities kerosene-free. He said
manufacturing of solar equipment
should be given priority to boost
employment generation and
derive maximum benefit from the
renewable energy drive.
Seeking a consolidated approach
to various schemes, such as
electrification, IT networks and
housing, he called for a focused
approach on the 100 worst
performing districts in each case.
He directed that future reviews
should focus on problems at the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
district-level, so that the progress
of poorly performing districts can
be better monitored.
The release said that Pradhan
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has
benefited 1.98 crore below
poverty line households so far,
while contribution of gas to the
primary energy mix has risen
to eight percent with 81 cities
being covered under City Gas
Distribution networks.
Laying greater emphasis
on ethanol blending, Modi
said that setting up of second
generation bio-ethanol refineries
should be expedited to utilise
agricultural residues.
The release said that rural
electrification programme
was on the track for targeted
completion and over 13,000 of
the 18,452 identified villages had
been electrified.
It said over 22 lakh rural BPL
households were electrified in
2016-17 and over 40 crore LED
bulbs were distributed in the same
period. The total inter-regional
transmission capacity has been
significantly enhanced, with
41 GW transmission capacity
being added from May 2014 to
April 2017. The release said
that total renewable generation
capacity has crossed 57 GW, with
an increase of 24.5 percent being
registered in the last fiscal year.
Modi enquired about the
training and skills being given to
rural masons, who were involved
with this scheme.
D
utch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders,
termed India's rise a "very welcome
development" as in the new emerging
world order, it will protect and promote
democratic values.
"India's take-off is a very welcome
development. It is welcome from a political
point of view because we share many
values," Koenders said while addressing
an event organised by Confederation of I Dutch Foreign Minister
Bert Koenders
ndian Industry.
"They range from human rights to the rule of law, and from free
elections to peace and security. Such principles are deeply embedded
in your society - supported by Indians rich and poor, and regardless of
religious conviction. As the global order is being reshaped, we look to
the world's largest democracy to protect and promote those values with
us," he added.
India preparing law on Antarctica
I
ndia is preparing a law for safeguarding its interest in Antarctica, an
official of the Ministry of Earth Scienc-es (MoES) said.
India doesnt have laws for Antarctica. We are preparing it and
it is in circulation in the law ministry, MoES secretary Madhavan Nair
Rajeevan told the media.
The law entails regulating our activities. When we go there if we do
a mistake, what will happen, what to do. It is about safeguarding our
own interests, he said. Rajeevan said India is also poised to expand
its research activities in the coldest continent. Maitri, which is Indias
second research station in Antarctica as part of the Indian Antarctic
Programme, will be replaced by a new one in the next few years.
The Maitri station will be replaced by a new station in the next
three-to-four years. Scientific activities will be expanded. We are also
planning to buy a ship which can go to Antarctica, Rajeevan added.
Yogi wields broom, vows to make UP ODF by 2018. Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday wielded the broom and
undertook a cleanliness drive. He also vowed to make the state open
defecation free (ODF) by 2018.

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 www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
INDIA 19

India successfully launches South Asia Satellite

I
ndia successfully launched,
in copy book style, the South
Asia Satellite, intended to serve
economic and developmental
priorities of South Asian
nations, using its heavy rocket
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV-F09).
Precisely at 4.57pm, the
GSLV-F09 rose into the sky from
the second launch pad at the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre at the
Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra
Pradesh, carrying the satellite,
intended as an Indian Gift for its
fellow Saarc nations except for
Pakistan which had opted out.
The 49-metre, 415 tonne rocket
slung the 2,230 kg satellite into
geosynchronous transfer orbit,
from where it would be taken up to
its final geostationary orbit.
In 2014, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi tasked the Indian
Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) to develop a satellite for use
by the Saarc countries.
Costing around Rs 235 crore, the
satellite was initially known as the
Saarc satellite. But with Pakistan
deciding to keep out, it is called
the South Asia Satellite. With a life
span of over 12 years, its objective
is to provide communication
applications in Ku-band for the
user nations.
The satellite, with its 12-Ku
band transponders-transmitters
and receivers of radio signals, will
enable telecommunication, tele-
education and tele-medicine as well
as mapping of natural resources.
It would also provide/augment
internet connectivity and would be
useful in disaster management.
Modi has said the South Asia
Satellite would go a long way in
addressing the regions economic
and developmental priorities.
Natural resources mapping,
telemedicine, the field of education,
deeper IT connectivity or fostering
ISROs communication satellite GSAT-9 on-board GSLV-F09 lifts off from Satish
Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota on May 5.
people-to-people contact, this
satellite will prove to be a boon in
the progress of the entire region,
he said.
It is an important step by
India to enhance cooperation
with the entire South Asia... It
is an invaluable gift. This is an
appropriate example of our
commitment towards South Asia.
I welcome all the South Asian
countries who have joined us on
this momentous endeavour, he
had said.
According to an official, the
ISRO decided to have electric
power for the satellite.
We have not reduced the
volume of the traditional on-board
fuel because of the electric power.
We have added electric power
facility to check its performance
for use in future satellites, the
official said.
He said the next satellite with
electric power will be the GSAT-20
slated for launch in 2018.
The GSLV is a three stage/
engine rocket. The core of the
first stage is fired with solid fuel
while the four strap-on motors by
liquid fuel. The second is the liquid
fuel and the third is the cryogenic
engine.
One of the spin off benefits for
India through this launch is that in
the international satellite launch
market, GSLV-Mk II rocket may
gain the confidence of potential
customers.
India puts into orbit foreign
satellites for a fee, using its lighter
rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV). However the
weight of third party satellites is
not much.

Dharamsala to boast of worlds first skyway: Minister

D
haramsala is going to be
the first city in the world to
have suspended skyway
transport system, which will
become operational within three
years, Himachal Pradesh Urban
Development Minister Sudhir
Sharma said.
Sharma said the feasibility of a
high-speed skyway link between
Dharamsala and Shimla was
also being studied. The minister
was speaking here on the eve of
signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between
the Himachal Pradesh government
and Belarus-based company
Skyway Technologies.
Sharma said a 15-kilometre
stretch had been identified in
Dharamsala where work would
start in the next two-to-three
months. The plan is to complete
all formalities over the next couple
of months and then immediately
start work on the project, he said.
Skyway is an elevated light-
rail transportation system with
suspended carbon-fibre cars
moving at high speed on steel rails.
Sharma added that skyway
technology was ideal for the hilly
terrain in Himachal Pradesh,
where train, metro and monorail
were not practical.
He said a high-speed link to
connect Dharamsala with the state
capital Shimla would also be built.
The suspended cars on the
skyway can run at a speed from
50 to 500 kilometres per hour.
Since not much land is required,
acquisition wont be a problem,
he said. The minister added that
the system would be silent, safe and
earthquake-resistant, as the area
comes under the seismic zone.
While the suspended cars can
be customised in size for carrying
two to 34 passengers at a time,
Sharma said six-person driver-
less cars would be introduced in
Dharamsala with a capacity of
carrying up to 20,000 passengers
per day.

Singapore Airlines 2017 Malaysia Airlines

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 INDIA ABROAD

Australian visa policy changes

20 12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

won't affect Indians much: Envoy

A
fter Australian Prime
Minister Malcolm Turnbull
announced last month that
he will be abolishing the existing
457 Visa programme, currently
used by temporary foreign workers
to gain employment, the country's
High Commissioner to India
Harinder Sidhu said that she
did not expect the move to affect
Indians much.
Speaking at a media interaction
organised by the Indian Women's
Press Corps here, Sidhu said the
move to abolish the 457 Visa
programme was aimed to ensure
that people who come to Australia
should be properly qualified.
The 457 Visa programme is
used mainly to hire foreign workers
in the restaurant, IT and medical
industries and the majority of
such visa holders came from India,
Britain and China. Turnbull's
statement, coming days after he
visited New Delhi, caused a lot of
consternation in India.
According to government
statistics, 95,758 people were
living in Australia under 457 Visa
programme last year, with the
highest proportion coming from
India (24.6 per cent), followed by
Britain (19.5 per cent) and China
(5.8 per cent). Sidhu said that most
of the Indian 457 Visa holders
work in the IT sector and, given the
"great shortage" of IT workers in
her country, "we expect Indians to
continue to qualify" for Australian
visas. She said that the number of
student visas issued to Indians has
also continued to rise over the last
three years.
From 46,000 student visas issued
in 2014, the number rose to 53,000
in 2015 and to over 60,000 in 2017,
the High Commissioner said.
As for incidents of racism in
Australia, Sidhu, who is a person
of Indian origin, said that Australia
was "one of the most successful
multicultural societies" with people
from 120 countries.
"There is a policy of zero
tolerance at all levels of government
(on racism)," she said. In this
connection, she also pointed out
that 48 per cent of Australia's total
population of 24 million are first
and second generation migrants.
As for India-Australia ties, the
High Commissioner said that both
countries shared "a fairly strong
bilateral relationship".
She said that during Prime
Minister Turnbull's visit to India
last month, he and his Indian
counterpart Narendra Modi
agreed to "add fresh momentum"
to the bilateral ties.
Stating that both countries
shared common strategic and
security interests, Sidhu said
that military ties were growing
in numbers, "notably bilateral
naval exercises".
She also said that both countries
shared a "strong economic
relationship" while mentioning that
Modi and Turnbull have agreed to High Commissioner to India
"move forward" on the proposed Harinder Sidhu
Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

SPORTS
Rohit, Shami back as selectors
back Dhoni for Champions Trophy defence
T
he fit-again duo of Rohit Sharma and as it has shaped up well in the last four months.
Mohammed Shami was recalled to "May be, one place here and there. But this
the 15-member India squad for next is the best side." On including Ashwin
month's ICC Champions Trophy, as the cricket without testing him in a match situation,
selectors also reposed their faith on talismanic Prasad said the Chennai tweaker's injury
wicketkeeper-batsman's abilities. was not serious and he merely required
BCCI's chairman of selectors M.S.K. some rest.
Prasad had no hesitations in calling the "The injury was not serious. The
former India skipper "the best stumper" (IPL) franchise was magnanimous
in the world despite his erratic run enough to listen to our request to rest
with the willow in the ongoing Indian him. Rest is what Ashwin required as the
Premier League (IPL). last game that India played, he was there.
"We all believe that he is still the That shows he is fit and not like others
best wicket-keeper in the world. who are getting rehabilitated after
He is invaluable to the team in surgery," Prasad said.
terms of inputs," Prasad told The chief selector also responded
reporters after BCCI joint in the negative when asked if skipper
secretary Amitabh Choudhary Kohli or all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja
announced the Virat Kohli- needed some rest from the IPL,
l e d squad. considering their respective teams are
"He is the best person to out of the race to the IPL play-offs. While
g u i d e Virat. In the past 10- Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are
plus years that I have seen when at the bottom of the standings, Jadeja's Gujarat
he has played for India, he has never Lions are two spots above RCB at sixth.
had a bad day as far as gloves are "Virat didn't play the last Test (against Prasad replied when asked about Gambhir.
concerned. The phenomenal performance Australia) and also the first few matches The stand-by players will be issued visas and
he puts in behind the wicket, nobody We in IPL. The more he plays, it is better will practise at the National Cricket Academy
looks at that," he added. respect IPL but for him. We have also given Jadeja in Bengaluru, Prasad said. Explaining the
Besides Rohit and Shami, off- in the longer format, a break. (But) considering how reason behind Pant and Kuldeep's omission,
spinner Ravichandran Ashwin we have to also consider fit he is, it wasn't a problem," Prasad said: "We are completely impressed
also made his way back after a the English conditions that he said. with Rishabh Pant. But he missed out because
brief injury lay-off. we are playing in. Not just While an in-form Gautam of squad combination. We will groom him for
While Rohit sustained IPL but one needs to take Gambhir failed to grab the the future."
a thigh injury during the into account the perfor- attention of the selectors, "We respect IPL but in the longer format, we
One Day International (ODI) mance of last one year the other senior members have to also consider the English conditions that
series against New Zealand in also in such a big -- Suresh Raina and Dinesh we are playing in. Not just IPL but one needs
October last year Shami's last tournament. Karthik -- were, however, kept as to take into account the performance of last
appearance in ODIs was in the 2015 standby players alongside the young one year also in such a big tournament," Prasad
World Cup semi-finals. Ashwin, who suffered trio of Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur and said. The eight-team tournament will be played
a sports hernia, was also advised six-to-eight Kuldeep Yadav. in June, with defending champions India pooled
weeks of rehabilitation after a gruelling Test "As of now, we have picked Shikhar with South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in
series against Australia. With no surprises in the Dhawan and Rohit Sharma as openers and Group B. India will start their campaign against
team, Prasad said it was easy to pick the squad Ajinkya Rahane is the back-up opener," arch-rivals Pakistan on June 4.
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 22 FEATURES
Mothers day: What working mothers say
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
M
others Day is a day for many
people to show their appreciation
towards mothers and motherly
figures worldwide.
Often in our endeavour to appreciate
mothers on this day, we inundate them with
choicest gifts, and telling them how much
we value them in our lives. This year Indian
Weekender thought to do something differently
and hear from mothers, instead of telling
them how much they are valued about how
they manage to do things for which they are
so valued.
Celebrated in over 40 countries, Mothers
Day honours the mothers for their love,
sacrifice and the bond they share with their
children. Be a single mother, a homemaker, or
a working mother, motherhood is challenging
and yet an enchanting experience for a
woman. Like homemakers, working women
face a further challenge of creating a balance
in work, life and giving time to their children.
New Zealand will celebrate Mothers Day on
Sunday, May 14.
Indian Weekender spoke to some of the
working mothers in Auckland who shared
glimpses of their journey being a proud
mother, managing work and children.
Mother's Day around the world
The special day in the honour of the most important woman in our life, Mothers Day, is celebrated in several countries around the world in
different ways. Not that we need a special day to thank and love her, but this is an ocassion when you can make herthe woman who is tirelessly
working 24x7 to make you happyfeel special, and express your love and affection. If you are looking for ideas on how to make this day special
for the most precious woman of your life, here are a few ideas from around the world for some inspiration.
India New Zealand
M
other's Day Celebration in India
are slowly catching! The concept
of celebrating Mothers Day on the
second Sunday of May is very new in India
and it can be said that in a time span of less
than a decade, Mothers Day has been a great
success.
Time to Reflect and Rejoice
Just as in the West, Indians too take
Mothers Day as a time too reflect on the
importance of mothers in their life.
They take it is time to think about all the
pains their mother took while they were sick,
the hardships she went through in bringing
them up and all the sacrifices she made so
that they lead a better life. Mothers Day is
the time to say a big thank you to mother for
all this and for being a constant guiding force
in our lives. In India, people send cards to
their mamas on Mothers Day. Make a meal
for Mothers so that she can have a days rest
from the kitchen. Tradition of giving gifts
on Mothers Day is also rampant. The whole
idea of celebrating Mothers Day is to thank
mother, to make her feel important on the
day and be happy about mothering caring
children. Mothers should be pampered on
the day by children and on the whole should
be given a happy Mothers Day.
Sabitra Hari Kandel, Indian
takeaway owner
I
have two children, nine and 12 years
old. As they are growing up fast, keeping
up with their pace of need gets quite
challenging at times, but it also gives me a
sense of satisfaction and completes my day.
Like many working mothers, I have to get
them prepared for school, make sure they
take their meals on time, they get adequate
outdoor sports time, study time and I get to
spend some quality time with them.
Vandana Patel, Real estate agent
O
n a daily basis, the challenges of
being a working parent are many like
managing time between work and
pick-up/drop-offs, their sports commitments,
flag is hoisted on every house and important South Africa
In New Zealand Mothers Day is celebrated
on the second Sunday in the month of May.
The festival of Mothers Day has turned
out to be a big day for the people of New
Zealand. There is a big euphoria over the
day and people celebrate the day by going
out for picnics and dinners.
Markets see a busy time as people make
it a point to buy gifts for their mothers,
grand mothers and friends and relatives who
are mothers. Flowers and cards business
particularly flourish at this time of the year.
People also indulge their mothers by
treating them with breakfast in bed and
baking a Mothers Day special cakes for
them. Some also like to give their mother a
days rest from the kitchen and household
chores and treat them with a spa or
beauty treatment.
USA
In USA Mothers Day is a national holiday
and is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm
and gaiety. On this day people reflect on
the importance of mothers in their life and
thank them for their unconditional love
and support. Mothers and children in USA
look forward to celebrate the day with each
other. Besides, in United States the national
12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz
extracurricular activities, prepping meals and being a mother is being able to give that
just making sure we as parents spend time unconditional love.
with our boys.
I have to be organised and plan my days
Akshita Nama, Retail manager
and months in order to overcome these
challenges. One thing I have learned being
a working mother is finding patience in all
aspects of life, and motherhood has given me
an entirely different perspective of life.
Ella Kumar, Local Board
member and health and
wellbeing promoter
I
am very lucky that I have my parents and
my in-laws who look after my boys while
I work. At the same time I miss them a lot
and have a sense of guilt always that I could
be there for them more.
I think the best part of being amotheris
M
seeing your children grow and learn. Its
otherhood is challenging. The
exciting to see what their personalities are
feelings of giving in to anything
going to be, what their interests are going
the children say or want, especially
to be. Nothing compares to the smiles and
while working, it is easy just to say yes to them
laughter of your children, it can brighten the
then, but there are always consequences
worst of days.
that follow. So separating their demands
and requirements is important. To make I love being able to devote myself to the
an instant decision that is right for them in growth of my children, where you come last,
our stressed and overworked life is quite a being a mum makes you realise how much
challenge. potential a woman has and how much we
can really do. I want to be home to see my
Nevertheless, I do enjoy being a working
boys grow but at the same time i want them
mother, it is also a stress buster for me,
to see their mum working so that they know
speaking to them and spending time with
them is bliss. The one thing I enjoy about that a women can do anything..
buildings on the occasion of Mother's Day In South Africa, Mothers Day is celebrated
to honour motherhood and the mothers of on the second Sunday in the month of May.
the country. People of South Africa celebrate Mother's
Day in its true spirit by acknowledging the
Australia importance of mothers in their lives and
In Australia, Mothers Day is celebrated thanking them profusely for all their love
with lot of enthusiasm and joy. It falls on the and care.
on the second Sunday in the month of May People also gift flowers and cards to their
and is celebrated in a similar fashion as in mother as an expression of their heartfelt
US. People of Australia take Mothers Day as
feeling of gratitude and affection.
an opportunity to express gratitude to their
The most commonly used flowers on
mother. Children show love to their moms by
Mothers Day is the traditional carnation.
gifting flowers and cards to them.
People wear red or pink carnation for the
Just as in US there is a tradition of wearing mothers who are living while white carnation
carnation on Mothers Day in Australia. A
is used as a symbol of mothers who are dead.
coloured carnation signifies that a person's In South Africa, Mother's Day is taken as
mother is living while a white carnation is
an opportunity to thank not just mothers
used to honour a deceased mother. but also grandmothers and women who are
\Besides their own mothers children like mothers.
honour their grandmothers and other
women who love and care for them as a
mother does.
Children ponder over the role of mothers
in their lives and acknowledge the hardships
their mother go through while raising them
up. As a mark of respect children pamper
their mother on Mothers Day by treating
them with breakfast on bed and with gifts
and cakes.
 www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017
FEATURES 23

Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader,

numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant based in India with a
global presence through the online channels. She is available for
consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.
com or contact at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp:
May 12 to May 18 | By Manisha Koushik +919015607139 www.askmanisha.com

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20)
You will have to stick to what is promised, if you want
to prosper in your field of expertise. This week things
may not go right on the professional front. Your
comments about someone may not go down well
with him or her. Break up in a relationship is foretold
for some. Dont try out a new vehicle in busy traffic.
Some of you can get embroiled in a legal battle over
property. A cash crunch needs to be overcome.
Lucky Number- 17 / Lucky Colour- White
Taurus (Apr 21-May 20)
You may have to keep on the right side of those who
matter at work. Those separated from home can
feel homesick. Dont get too much concerned about
workplace competition, as your work speaks for itself.
Money will pose no problems, but you must get into
the habit of saving. Home front will be most inviting
for rest and relaxation this weekend. It can take an
effort for some to bring romance back into their lives!
Lucky Number- 7 / Lucky Colour- Cream
Gemini (May 21-Jun 21)
You will have to give priority to something, before it
becomes an albatross around your neck. Chances
of owning a house of your own look bright for some.
You may get the feeling that the tasks given to you
at work are serving no purpose. A decision on the
home front regarding a family youngster will have to
be taken quickly. Your romantic moves will be fully
reciprocated by partner.
Lucky Number- 11 / Lucky Colour- Lavender
Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 20)
You may need some time out to relax and rejuvenate,
so take a break! Those ailing are likely to be on the
road to recovery. There is a need to adopt a daily
routine and stick to it to preserve health. Ups and
downs on the business front cannot be ruled out for
some. Support of family will encourage you to take
up a challenge. Accompanying someone for an out of
town trip cannot be ruled out.
Lucky Number- 1 / Lucky Colour- Peach
Leo (Jul 21-Aug 22)
Slow progress of something important may frustrate
you, but not for long. Some worry on the family front
can trouble you. Your love life may hit a bad patch
and it will be up to you to set it right. Stability is likely
to be achieved on the professional front. It may be
difficult to find a solution to depleting financial
resources. Investment options may appear confusing.
Lucky Number- 9 / Lucky Colour- Cream
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 23)
An issue regarding someone in the family is likely to
become clear soon. You will find this week fruitful on
the professional front. Those feeling a bit under the
weather on the health front may show improvement.
Those staying away due to professional compulsions
may manage to pay a quick visit. You are likely to find
love where you least expect it. Setting out early on a
journey is advised. Dont reject an offer coming your
way.
Lucky Number- 3 / Lucky Colour- Dark Yellow
Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)
You may have to deal with a situation this week
that you have not encountered before. Keeping
your professional front in order will be an ample
proof of your efficiency at work. Someone in the
family expects you to loosen your purse strings,
so dont disappoint. A social event may give you
an opportunity to meet new people. Encouraging
signs appear for the eligible on the marriage front. A
journey you want to undertake is likely to materialise
soon.
Lucky Number- 2 / Lucky Colour- Pink
Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)
Visiting new places to enjoy new experiences is on the
cards, but dont overdo it. Someone may be planning
to take you out for a meal, so remain available! On the
work front, you are likely to reap rich dividends with
minimum efforts. Financially, all your worries are
likely to disappear. You may remain surrounded by
relations and friends. News of someone homecoming
may add to your excitement. Romantic front will
remain warm and cosy, so rejoice!
Lucky Number- 15 / Lucky Colour- Green
Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)
Someone may make you do something extra at work
this week, but take it in your stride. A social gathering
may find you in the spotlight. Fame and recognition
comes to you from work on the professional front.
Financial worries become a thing of the past as
money comes from various sources. Going in for a
lifestyle change at this juncture will find you fitter and
more energetic. Family will be loving and supportive
of your ideas.
Lucky Number- 5 / Lucky Colour- Parrot Green
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 21)
You may have to hire someone to share your workload,
so start thinking on those lines. Freelancers and
contract workers will manage to make clients agree
to their terms and conditions. You may get involved
in arranging something on the family front. Falling in
love is a strong possibility as you get serious about
someone from the opposite camp. A personal job
may entail a lot of travelling, so be ready for it. Good
health is foreseen.
Lucky Number- 8 / Lucky Colour- Electric Grey
Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 19)
You will need to be on the forefront in whatever you
undertake to get noticed. This is an excellent time to
showcase your talents on the professional front for
furthering your career. You will be able to raise money
for something specific without any problems. Bidding
adieu to a recurring health problem is possible for
some. Planning an outing together with family is on
the cards and will be exciting. A property matter will
be resolved amicably.
Lucky Number- 22 / Lucky Colour- Dark Slate Grey
Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)
You may not have the confidence to do a task alone,
so dont shy away from taking help. Tremendous
improvement is foreseen for those suffering from an
ailment. On the professional front, you will have time
on your hands to complete what had been pending for
long. Those looking for a quick buck are likely to grab
every opportunity they can lay their hands on. Family
togetherness will prove immensely fulfilling and help
create a happy home environment.
Lucky Number- 4 / Lucky Colour- Blue

Going beyond religious conflict

SADHGURU, would like to call it, by approaching within a person, nothing of
ISHA FOUNDATION it either through the body, the tremendous value can be done in

T
he moment man became
religious it should have been
the end of all conflict, but
unfortunately, everywhere in the
world, religion has become the
main source of conflict.
This has taken the maximum
number of lives and caused the
maximum amount of pain on
the planet for thousands of years.
This is only because people believe
in something that is not a reality
for them.
Somebody believes in something,
somebody else believes in something
else, and naturally conflict cannot
be avoided. Today or tomorrow
they are going to fight.
They may avoid conflict for some
time, but some day they will fight.
As long as you believe that only
your way is right, and somebody
else believes his way is right, you
are bound to fight.
Though all religions started as an
inward path, over time they have
gotten twisted up and have simply
became a set of beliefs.
Though all religions have taught
about the value of a human life, for
the sake of the same religion, today
people are willing to take each
others lives.
Unfortunately, much pain and
conflict has risen in this planet
because of this. This basic problem
has not been properly addressed.
People are always trying to do patch
up jobs between one group and the
other, but they do not last for long
and somewhere conflict will arise
the basis being, people only believe
in something, something which is
not yet a reality for them. If you
come down to reality, it is the same
reality for everybody, no matter
what religious background you
come from.
When you come to belief, each
group has their own belief of what
is right and what is wrong, what is
true and what is false. You believe
mind, emotion, or through inner
energies. These are the only four
realities that you know. Everything
else is imagined. Everything else
has been taught to you.
These are the four basic ways
of yoga. If the body is used for
growth, it is karma yoga. If the
mind or intelligence is used, it is
gnana yoga.
If emotion love and devotion,
are used, then it is bhakti yoga. If
you transform your energies and
grow, it is kriya yoga. This is
just like referring to head,
Yoga heart, hands and energy.
is about I am
That is what you
willing to change
are; that is what every
myself. This is not
human being is.
in things that you about wanting to
Nobody is all head,
have not seen and change the world;
or all heart, or all
experienced. This has you are willing to
hands, or all energy,
become the basis of all change.
they are a combination
conflict. of these four dimensions.
The basic purpose of yoga So if a person has to grow, he
has always been to pursue religion needs a combination of these four
as an experience, as an inner paths of bhakti, gnana, kriya and
experience, not as a belief.
karma. All the four need to be
Do not start with any belief; start there in your life, only then there
looking inward. Whatever is true, is growth. Only then there is a
experience it and go further.
possibility of reaching the ultimate
Approach it as a science, not as nature. Otherwise we have groups
a belief. In yoga, we just see that and groups quarrelling groups
fundamentally a human being can everywhere. Spiritually, there
grow or reach their ultimate nature, is nothing happening. Unless
God or the divine, or whatever you something of true value happens
the external world. Whatever you
do, it is only your quality that you
are going to spread.
Whether you like it or not, this is
the reality. Who you are is what you
are going to spread everywhere. If
you are concerned about the world,
the first thing is that you must be
willing to transform yourself.
Yoga is about I am willing to
change myself. This is not about
wanting to change the world;
you are willing to change. When
you say, I want everybody else to
change, only conflict will occur.
Only when you are willing
to change, a change can really
happen in this world. It is this self-
transformation that will lead to true
wellbeing for the individual and
society. This is a true revolution.
Isha New Zealand conducts free
monthly Isha Kriya meditation
practice and Upa yoga for
public. For more information,
contact 0221099771 or visit www.
ishafoundation.org. Ranked
amongst the fifty most influential
people in India, Sadhguru is
ayogi, mystic, visionary and
bestselling author. Sadhguru
has been conferred the Padma
Vibhushan by the Government of
India in 2017, the highest civilian
award of the year, accorded for
exceptional and
distinguished service.
http://isha.sadhguru.org/
 24 FEATURES 12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Virtuality Reality 11 surprising home remedies

for constipation
wows Auckland The cure for constipation may be
as close as your kitchen! Try these
natural cures for quick relief
Sesame seeds
Lemon water
The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a
stimulant to your digestive system and can
help flush toxins from your body. Squeeze
fresh lemon juice into a glass of water every
morning, or add lemon to tea; you may find
that the refreshingly tart water not only acts
as a natural remedy to your constipation
but also that it helps you drink more water
each day, which will improve your long-term
digestion.

The oily composition of sesame seeds

@MAHESH
I too took my son along who is an avid
gamer, and it was like a candy store for him.
He kept queuing up at all the stalls battling
aliens, playing cricket, riding a roller coaster
or just fishing. Needless to say, he loved the
experience.
The second day of the summit had
keynote session and talks from renowned
content developers, hardware manufacturers
works to moisturize the intestines, which
can help if dry stools are a problem. Add
the seeds to cereals or salads for crunch,
or pulverize them in a coffee grinder and
sprinkle on food like a seasoning. This home
remedy for constipation is a favorite of Amish
and Chinese folk healers.
Molasses

I
have been hearing about virtual reality
(VR) and augmented reality (AR) for far
too long. What seemed like a fascinating
but far-fetched, straight-from-sci-fi stuff, took
painfully long to turn into something tangible
and exciting.
Today, with all the major tech companies
worth its saltfrom Google, Facebook to
HP, HTCgetting in the play, the segment
seems to explode with new possibilities
and potential. Virtual Reality has come to
be regarded as one of the most disruptive
technology with phenomenal growth
potential. According to a report by Goldman
Sachs, VR/AR revenues are predicted to
surpass the TV market, making it an $80
billion dollar industry.
Recently, Auckland got to play with some
of these exciting technology at Magnify
AR/VR Expo Summit 2017 on May 7-8. A
part of the Techweek 2017, the exhibition
showcased some real cool demos and the
technology that had people queuing up to
experience.
Founded and organised by Matt Coleman,
the Skycity Convention Centre that hosted
the summit, was thronged by technology
enthusiasts, gamers and just-curious
computer geeks. Even the Prime Minister Bill
English was captured taking a taste of Virtual
Reality when he tried out an HTC Vive.
Over 100 events were organised as a part of
the Techweek throughout New Zealand.
The idea behind the summit is not just
to educate and create awareness about
the technologies but also explore practical
solutions for the industry and provide
a platform for creative and technology
professionals to network and develop new
work.
Prominent names among the sponsors
and exhibitors were Air NZ, HP, Fulldome,
BendVR, Joyful Immersive eXperience,
Samsung, and Staples VR.
and thought-leaders from all around the
world. It tried to help understand that VR
and AR will not only be limited to gaming
or entertainment but also become a major
part of our day-to-day life and a driving
technology in industries as diverse as
healthcare, education, and research.
Some of the technologies that wowed the
attendees were Fulldome Pro and Omen by
HP among others.
Fulldome Pro
Fulldome Pro was founded in 2010 and is
the global leader offering an immersive dome
experience. The technology can connect up
to 64 projectors, play up to 8K 360 content
right from a single server with extremely
precise calibration.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, USA
Fulldome Pro has over 200 employees with
regional offices in Thailand, China, India,
Brazil and Russia. Having partnered on
nearly 300 projects worldwide, Fulldome
Pro excels at designing new concepts for the
dome and creating immersive digital art.
HP Omen
HP is quite serious about gaming.
Through Omen, HP has collaborated
with experts to offer the ultimate in virtual
reality. With the latest VR systems and an
OMEN PC, the platform offers a seamless
out-of-the-box experience.
There were many other cool games'
demos, including one by NZ Fire service
which showcased immersive 'Escape My
House project via Samsung Oculus headset.
All in all a great experience which left us all
wanting for more.
One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses
before bed should help ease your constipation
by morning. Blackstrap molasses is boiled and
concentrated three times, so it has significant
vitamins and minerals; magnesium in
particular will help relieve your constipation.
Fiber
Fiber acts like a pipe cleaner, scrubbing
food and waste particles from your digestive
tract and soaking up water. It adds bulk to
your stool, giving the muscles of your GI
tract something to grab on to, so they can
keep food moving along. Aim for 20 to 35
grams of fiber a day to stay regular. Foods
particularly high in fiber include bran cereals,
beans, lentils, oatmeal, almonds, barley,
many vegetables, and fresh and dried fruits.
If youre constipated and taking in additional
fiber, be sure to drink more water than usual
to keep your stool soft and easy to pass.
Mint or ginger tea
Mint and ginger are both proven home
remedies to help alleviate a slew of digestive
problems. Peppermint contains menthol,
which has an antispasmodic effect that relaxes
the muscles of the digestive tract. Ginger is a
warming herb that causes the inside of the
body to generate more heat; herbalists say
this can help speed up sluggish digestion. In
tea, the hot water will also stimulate digestion
and help relieve constipation. Dandelion tea
is also a gentle laxative and detoxifier.
Coffee
Coffee can stimulate your colon and
speed up your trip to the bathroom. Other
hot drinks work too: Herbal tea or a cup of
hot water with a little lemon juice (a natural
laxative) or honey may stimulate your colon
as well. Coffee is also a diuretic, however, so
make sure to keep drinking water or your
constipation could become worse.
Raisins
High in fiber, raisins also contain tartaric
acid, which has a laxative effect. In one study,
doctors determined that panelists who ate 4
1/2 ounces of raisins (one small box) per day
had their digested food make it through the
digestive track in half the time it took other
subjects who did not. Cherries and apricots
are also rich in fiber and can help kick your
constipation. Eat these fruits with a bowl of
yogurt for the added benefits of gut-soothing
probiotics.
Prunes
These fiber-rich fruits are a go-to home
remedy for getting your digestion back on
track. Three prunes have 3 grams of fiber,
and they also contain a compound that
triggers the intestinal contraction that makes
you want to go. Another great dried fruit
choice is figs, which may not cause as much
bloating as prunes.
Exercise
Even a daily 15-minute walk can help move
food through your bowel more quickly. If you
feel sleepy after a heavy meal, try to move
around instead of lying down. Jumpstarting
the digestive process can help you avoid
that painfully full feeling that often follows a
large meal.
26 FEATURES 12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Winter wakey:
Fashion tips for the season
W
aking up on a dark dingy winter morning can be daunting.
To make things tougher, dressing up for work can be a task.
This is when it is tempting to wear black leggings, black top,
black coat, black hoodie, black boots and rush to work.
Being cosy and looking slim was never easier, right? But wearing
colour can make your Monday morning and life cheerful. Follow the
following tips to pep up your winter style this season.
AKANKSHA
MEHRA

Reusing
your summer
wear in the winter
means double the clothes.
Woopie! Try teaming
those summer dresses or
dungarees with turtle necks
like below[image]. If you are
too committed to fight the
cold then a pair of tights is
always helpful under a
dress.
Coloured
puffer jackets:
Puffer jackets are a
staple for New Zealand
winter. The only piece of
everyday clothing which keeps
you warm, protects you from the
inclement wind and unforeseen
rain. Try going for bright
coloured jackets like blue,
purple or green which will
keep you warm and
trendy.
The good ol boots:
Keep your feet high
and dry with never-to-
be-underestimated power of boots. Velvet
boots are trending this season. Colours like
red, blue and metallic have also made their
way swiftly. Dont forget to cuff your jeans a
roll up to show off those killer ankle boots.

Get a sweatdress: Who doesnt love a chic

easy-to-wear-anywhere kind of dress!
This is exactly what a sweatdress is.
This piece will keep you warm while
accentuating your silhouette. You
could choose a cold shoulder, halter
neck or simple version of this dress
and pair it with flats, pumps, shoes
or boots to compliment with. As
resourceful as it could get!

Winter scarves: Try adding a splash of colour with colourful scarves. Invest in pastel
colours like pink, orange, peach and turquoise which are versatile and mesh to take
your look a notch higher whilst keeping the winter at bay.
The biggest community
awards are here

Media Partner

The Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame recognises individuals who have built a road to
glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on.
Lets celebrate the success of the communitys outstanding achievers.

I I N DI A
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 28 FEATURES
ENTERTAINMENT 12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

AUCKL ANDS HOT TEST BOLLY WOOD STATION

I choose projects that leave When Arth blew

Vidya's mind

me sleepless: A.R. Rahman A

ctress Vidya Balan, known
for portraying strong willed
characters, reminisced the
moment when she watched the

O
scar-winning composer A.R. Rahman says whether different way. It comes naturally when you are involved 1982 film Arth, starring Shabana
a project comes from Bollywood, Hollywood or in it. For now, Rahman is upbeat about his latest tryst Azmi and Smita Patil. She "just fell
from any part of the world, it catches his interest with technology Le Musk, a Virtual Reality (VR) multi- in love" with it.
as long as passionate people are involved in it and it leaves sensory episodic film which has been shot across "I was in the middle of my 12th
various locations in Rome. He has not just exams. I had a history exam and
him sleepless about giving it his best shot.
directed it, but has also written it. I was really not interested in the
I love music. I always tell my team that we have to
Rahman said he was introduced to the exam and happened t o
move forward and look into projects that excite us. If
technology in 2015. He was hesitant to switch on the
something doesnt excite me, I dont show interest in doing
try it, but got so hooked on to it that TV. I saw Arth
it. I dont want to let my listeners suffer, Rahman said in
he would spend as many as six hours and just fell
an interview at the India prelude launch of his Le Musk
a day working with it. But how did in love with
directorial debut.
the concept of Le Musk emerge? what I saw.
Before taking up a project, there is research done at
first. It needs to excite me. So far I have done what I had One day I was chatting with "I loved
energy to do and will keep doing that. The project needs to my wife (Saira Banu) and she the fact that
make me sleepless to deliver something satisfactory. is fond of perfumes. So, she this woman
said, Why dont you make a in the end
I just look how passionate the other person is about
movie on perfumes? It was of the film walked away
the project, irrespective of the language or place that he
actually her initiative. That saying 'What if I was the one who
belongs to, added the 50-year-old, who has completed 25
time I wanted to create a had done this, would you have
years in the music industry since the release of the 1992
theatre with projections accepted me?' He says 'No'. And
film Roja. Besides India, where he is known by the Mozart
all over and have scent she walks away. That blew my
of Madras sobriquet, Rahman has carved out a niche for
added to it just as mind. I have never seen that,"
himself in the West through his impactful and award-
an experiment. Vidya said on the CNN-News18's
winning compositions in films like Slumdog Millionaire, 127
Hours and Pele. He has also composed music for Iranian But, in three show "Virtuosity".
and British movies. About Hollywood, he feels watching months, somebody The film's actresses Shabana
movies from the American market has been part of Indias gave me a headset and Smita "completely blew" her
movie-going culture. and then my wife mind as well. "In one viewing, I
said dont create knew the dialogues of the films. I
We have been seeing Hollywood films since a long
a theatre and knew moments from the films so
time now. It has become a part of our culture. I have been
rather do it with while I was studying I would go up
watching them since childhood. Its part of me now,
VR, which is to my friend's terrace and study...
Rahman said.
evolving. sometimes in the open, but what
On whether his approach to Hollywood projects is any
It was a kind of an actually I was doing there was
different as compared to his work in Indian movies, the
experiment and I loved enacting scenes from Arth," she
composer said: Its about wearing different hats... When
doing it. So now I will added.
we go to a party, we speak in a different way, and when
look at doing more of it,
we speak to our mother or a friend, then we speak in a
he added.

Amazed with efforts of Freida Pinto wants to find love traditionally

newcomers now: Amitabh I
ndia-born US-based actress Freida Pinto The 32-year-old has ruled out
wants to meet men the traditional way. the possibility of having any

M
The Slumdog Millionaire actress, who was children at the moment as she is
ega star Amitabh I think you will have to leave
previously in a relationship with actor Dev Patel, committed to figuring out herself.
Bachchan, who will that choice to the audience. If
is currently single and says she doesnt like to Its about figuring out who I am
next be seen in they like somebody with a good use apps like Tinder in order to find love, reports first. The job of motherhood
Ram Gopal Varmas I body... fine, the 74-year- femalefirst.co.uk. is far more important than
Sarkar 3, says he is am absolutely old replied. being an actress. You can
Dates are fun: you meet new people and
amazed with the amazed with the Directed by Ram only raise an empathetic
sometimes you become good friends and other
kind of effort and kind of effort these Gopal Varma, child if you have empathy
times, pfft. You think, I never want to see that
hardwork the newcomers make before Sarkar is the third crazy person again. I meet people the traditional towards yourself,
newcomers put even their first film. Which installment of the way, Pinto said. she said.
into their films is why I admire the fact Sarkar franchise.
today. that every time they The political crime Priyanka proud of Indian judiciary on Nirbhaya verdict
P
A promo video appear for the very thriller film also
first film, they are riyanka Chopra has penned reading out the death sentence to strident and clear - the six must
which will release stars Amit Sadh, Yami an emotionally touching the four accused in the Nirbhaya be punished. Finally, they will
so perfect.
on Monday online Gautam, Jackie Shroff and note after the Supreme rape cum murder case. Im so pay. The brutality of such crimes
has Varma in conversation Manoj Bajpayee. Court confirmed the death proud of the justice system for is something I refuse to accept,
with Amitabh, discussing the new sentences of all four convicts in hearing her voice.. in her dying she said. The former beauty queen
talent in the film industry lately. the Nirbhaya gang- rape case. The declaration she appealed that also voiced her concerns over the
I am absolutely amazed with Indian actress says she is proud her perpetrators not be spared, fact that even in 21st century, how
the kind of effort these newcomers of the justice system. Priyanka she added. The 34-year-old actress can a society allow such heinous
make before even their first film. shared a note, where she said that said that it was justice that the crimes taking place against women
Which is why I admire the fact that she refuses to accept the brutality entire country demanded Each and expressed that it never ceases
every time they appear for the very of such heinous crimes. voice that joined the battle was to trouble her.
first film, they are so perfect. Their Yes, it has taken five long years, Unfortunately, the past can
face, expression, body, language, but today justice finally prevailed. never be undone. So, we move on
performances... flawless, said The flame of this verdict should and make a promise to ourselves.
Amitabh, in the promo video which singe not just the dastardly four That when an entire country is
will come online on Eros Now. (of the other two, one is dead and unified in wanting something,
one accused is a juvenile) but such action is taken. This awakening,
Commenting on the
perpetrators in India as well, this unified voice to stop such
perfectionism and the worked out
Priyanka wrote. brutal and demonical crimes, as
bodies the actors now have, Varma
The brutal, barbaric and our Supreme Court said, is what
said: They (actors) are all looking we must never let go onto mute
demonical conducts of the convicts
the same. They all come with a mode, she wrote.
shook the conscience of humanity
chiselled body, stylised hair and all
and they dont deserve leniency You will never be forgotten
that. They just look like models and
said the Supreme Court while Nirbhaya, she added.
I think its working against them.
 ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURES

Parineeti: I've always got great roles

www.iwk.co.nz | 12 May 2017 29

N
ational Award-winning actress Parineeti Chopra various chapters in our lives. "That's something that I relate to
feels lucky that she has always landed "great roles" even in my real life because I have songs for every event and
in Bollywood, as well as a chance to sing because person in my life. I connected a lot to the film, so I thought I
music is her "soul". should be a part of it."
"I started with Ladies vs Ricky Bahl for which I won awards. Talking about her and Ayushmann Khurrana's chemistry
Then I did Ishaqzaade for which I won a National Award. I in the film, Parineeti said: "Our chemistry is beautiful because
have always done roles which were amazing. By the grace of of the real-life bond that we share. He is one of my closest
God, I have always got great roles," Parineeti t said. friends right now. I have connected and bonded a lot with
Parineeti, who has received rave reviews for her debut him off screen.
single Maana ke hum yaar nahin from the forthcoming film "Also, there is a lot of comfort with him. He is a very
Meri Pyaari Bindu, says singing is the most important thing in easy co-star and not a very demanding or difficult one.
her life. He is a very simple and honest guy. We both used to
"Any person who knows me knows that singing is the most sing a lot on the set as we both have been born with a lot
important thing in my life. Music is really my soul. That's why of musical influence. The shooting of the film has been
Meri Pyaari Bindu is a special film for me as I wanted my first very organic and beautiful for me."
song to be done well." Meanwhile, Parineeti is also not worried about
"I wanted it to be a hit. That's exactly what has happened. the clash between Meri Pyaari Bindu and Amitabh
It's a beautiful track. Everybody loves it. People talk about Bachchan starrer Sarkar 3 at the box office on
it wherever I go. I am very happy about it now," she added. Friday.
Parineeti, also known for her roles in films like Hasee tho "If the film is good, it will
Phasee, is returning to the silver screen with Meri Pyaari Bindu connect with the audience. A
after almost two years. film becomes a hit when
"I just took a break for nine months in 2015 and that was people love and enjoy
because I was making my house and working on my fitness. it. If people will like
After nine months, I signed Meri Pyaari Bindu and started Meri Pyaari Bindu, it
shooting it. So, by the time you finish shooting and the film will be a hit," she
releases, it takes one more year," Parineeti said. concluded.
"I was getting a lot of work, but I just wanted to
Our
look better and feel better. I had to concentrate
on my health, which I had neglected. chemistry is
Also, I wanted to make my house and
beautiful because
give my heart and soul to it," she added. On of the real-life bond
choosing Meri Pyaari Bindu, the 28-year-old that we share. He is one
said: "It was really one of the sweetest films of my closest friends
that I read. The moment I read the script right now. I have
I felt this was the character that I wanted to connected and bonded
play. The film is full of nostalgia. It has a lot a lot with him off
of old songs which are associated with screen

Nobody can ever replace pure singers: Ayushmann

I
ts great that actors are venturing
out and trying their hand
at singing, says Ayushmann
Khurrana, who believes they are
no threat to professional singers.
Apart from his acting career,
Ayushmann is a successful singer
who has come up with his
own singles.
A debate was sparked last
month when it was announced
that Bollywood actress Sonakshi
Sinha would be performing at
Canadian singer Justin
Biebers
maiden concert in Mumbai. other actor... they are doing it for films which are different, unique;
Several singers were not very themselves, and thats allowed, they have normal concepts
happy in fact, Kailash Kher he said. and that work in my favour,
had expressed dissent and said In his next Bollywood release he said.
that getting an actress to perform Meri Pyaari Bindu, his co-actor Does he see himself doing an
at Biebers concert in the country Parineeti Chopra plays a singer action film soon?
over an acclaimed Indian singer and she has also warbled. Ill do it if it comes naturally to
was not a good sign. Ayushmann ventured into me. I have to go through a lot of
What does Ayushmann think Bollywood in 2012 with filmmaker mental and physical transfomation
about actors trying their hand a Shoojit Sircars romantic comedy for that. I think everything will
t singing? Vicky Donor, for which he sang Paani happen with time, he said.
I think its great. Its lending da rang. Ayushmann says he will take
your own voice to the characters Ever since, he has featured in some more time to venture out into
on screen like it happens in the films like Nautanki Saala, Hawaizaada different genres.
west. Why not? and the National Award winning Let me first be a perfect guy
But at the same time, I would film Dum Laga Ke Haisha. next door, perfect actor in the
love to reiterate that singers... Why havent we seen him in a film Im performing in. I think in
Pure singers are here to stay and commercial masala film? another four or five years, maybe
nobody can ever replace them, I think I would love to own that Ill venture out into different
Ayushmann said. space of these films... These kind genres, he said.
While Ayushmann did not (slice of life) of cinema also work In Meri Pyaari Bindu, he plays
directly comment on the and do good business. They have a a novelist. He also has two more
Sonakshi issue, the 32-year- certain audience for that, he said. films in his kitty Bareilly Ki Barfi
old actor said its okay for Ayushmann feels its important and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan.
an actor to sing for his for an act or to have his own niche How does he feel about having a
characters on screen. in the industry. busy year ahead?
If you are singing I have the space It feels great because I am
for yourself and for I of a singer and not used to doing a lot of films. I
your character have the space actor... At hardly do one film a year. This time
on screen... of a singer and the same around, I am going to do three.
b e c a u s e actor... At the same time, time, I This time it is going to be a
most of the I would love to own the would different year for me.
actors are space of doing films which love to I am a very laidback person
not doing are different, unique; they own the and I am excited about this,
stage acting have normal concepts and space as its a very good change,
for any that work in my favour of doing Ayushmann said.
30 FEATURES
CAB Manurewa
Date: Saturday, May 13
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Venue:Manurewa Library Community Room, 7 Hill Road,
Manurewa, Auckland
CAB Manurewa will hold a free information session for newcomers
on Knowing your Money and Taxes. Please come and join to
find about budgeting today and understanding the New Zealand
Tax System. Registration and light refreshments will be at 10am.
The session will promptly start at 10.30am and finish at 1.30pm
followed by light lunch. For more information please call at Patricia
Pera at 0211222014 or Armmajit Kaur at 0211421855 or Email at
settlement.manurewa@cab.org.nz
International Day of Yoga
Date: Sunday, June 18
Time: 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m.
Venue: 48 Kemp Street, Kilbirnie, Wellington
The High Commission of India is going to host the International
Day of Yoga onSunday, 18 June 2017in Wellington. International
Day of Yoga will also be celebrated in other important cities in
New Zealand like Auckland, Christchurch etc. in collaboration
with the Indian diaspora associations. Attendees will have to bring
their own mats.
12 May 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz
The Colors of India by Simar Sahni Kiss the Sky
Date: Saturday, May 27 Date: Thursday, June 29 until Saturday, July 1
Time: 11 a.m.to 6 p.m. Time: 7:30 p.m. onwards
Venue: Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall, May Road, Mt Roskill, Venue: Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Beach
Auckland The New Zealand Dance Company forges its stellar reputation for
Every artist dips their brush into their soul to create a part choreographic mastery and extraordinary contemporary dance
of themselves onto a canvas. are thrilled to invite you all to with the premiere of its 2017 triple bill Kiss the Sky, opening 29
Simars second solo art exhibition which will feature the mix of June at the Bruce Mason Centre for four performances only. The
abstract, contemporary and modern art inspired by one of the season includes special opportunities to connect with The New
most beautiful and magnificent countries in the world, our own Zealand Dance Company through an engaging whole whanau
homeland. We humbly present to you The Colours Of India. workshop and creative pre- and post-show talks.
Simars first art exhibition still feels like dream. It was a great
success where she showcased 30 art pieces and paintings were
sold like hot cakes.We again look forward to your support to
motivate her once again.Please feel free to extend the invitation to
your known art lovers.
Sexual Violence Workshop with
NZ Police
Date: Sunday, May 14,
Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Venue: Univeristy of Auckland
Hosted byUniversity of Auckland Indian Society, The purpose of
this workshop is to explore how sexual harassment affects people
in society and what boundries need to be maintained.
Despite living in the 21st century, many girls and boys especially
face this issue and it is often neglected as a crime that only occurs
Fundraising for Vishal
in third world countries. Boccia Trust
Date: Saturday, May 13
Shri Ram Mandir 2nd Anniversary Time: 11 a.m.to 6 p.m.
Venue: Sacred heart Girls College Hall, Clyde Street, Hamilton
Date: Wednesday, June 7 until Sunday, June 10 East
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. onwards A major fund raising for sportstar Vishal Boccai at the Under 21
Venue: Ram Mandir, 11 Brick Street, Henderson Grand Kirtan Sammelan-2017. Vishal originally from Suva, Fiji is
Shri Ram Mandir is organising its annual Paath Uthsav, the confined to wheelchair. He has been playing this game of Boccia
four-day programmeincludesPooja and culturalperformances. for nearly 2 years and have won atleast 13 medals ranging from
Several passion-packedcultural activitiesall organised toengage GOLD to BRONZE. He also took part in some Events in Australia.
theaudience as well as helpingpromotetheunderstandingand Currently he is ranked 1 in New Zealand Singles. Vishal has been
appreciationof the Indian culture. Weare requesting our people selected to represent New Zealand in 2020 ParaOlympic to be
in our community to come together to contribute our unique Hosted in Tokyo, Japan. We as former Fiji residence would like to
cultural heritage tohighlightasatremendousyearfor Shri Ram
help Vishal make this his Dream come true.
MandirPaath Uthsav.
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