Indian

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September 24, 2010
Volume 2, No. 13
New Zealand’s first Indian weekend magazine
For free distribution

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Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 1

 Indian
‘It’s now up to NZ companies to come forward’
dev nadkarni
The Indian Government’s top finance ministry offi-
cial, Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla, was recently
in New Zealand to explore the possibility of increased
interaction between India and New Zealand.
New Zealand and Australia were part of India’s
“look east” policy, which included the ASEAN states
extending all the way to the Oceania region. “We are
looking at increased engagement in the Asia Pacific
region,” Mr Chawla told Indian Weekender in Auck-
land.
India has progressively liberalised its Foreign
Direct Investment policy and was further fine-tuning
and calibrating it on an ongoing basis, Mr Chawla
said. FDI inflows have been toting up to US$30-35
billion annually. Indian companies are investing a
similar quantum in foreign countries.
Not much in terms of FDI was forthcoming from
New Zealand but “We are impressing upon them
for more joint ventures in agriculture, agro process-
ing, investment in areas where 100% ownership is
allowed. Let’s hope it carries forward,” the finance
secretary said.
“Our regulations are open and liberal and we
don’t get a sense that there is anything that’s holding
this back. We are also regularly communicating about
access to financial systems, permissions and other
matters. Besides our High Commissioner in Welling-
ton is doing his best. And so is the newly set up Bank
of Baroda.”
All systems were now in place and it was now
up to New Zealand companies to come forward, Mr
Chawla said.
Deficit problems
Mr Chawla admitted that India’s trade deficit needed
to be addressed. In the case of New Zealand, India
exported only half the value of the goods and services
that it imported. While a trade deficit was not neces-
sarily a bad thing, it would be good to have the trade
more evenly balanced, par-
ticularly in view of the fact Top Indian
of the Indian economy’s government
size in relation to New Zea-
land’s, he added. official wants
As a result of the to increase
global economic crisis, India-NZ
Indian exports flattened
while imports increased trade
because of India’s contin-
ued growth even during
the downturn in the west.
“As the world economy picks up we’ll see a correction
in this,” he said.
Replying to a question from Indian Weekender
about the growing chasm between imports and
exports with China, Mr Chawla said it was a concern.
“Indian companies need to be more competitive –
that’s the bottomline. Chinese companies are able to
export at much better prices – that’s why we have a
deficit. We need to do more to export higher quanti-
ties to China.”
When asked why India was still exporting natural
resources to China in raw form rather than value
added products that would yield better realisation,
Mr Chawla replied: “These are certain phases in the
process of economic development and these issues are
being looked at, I can assure you.” (India exports iron
ore and imports steel from China).
There was no single “silver bullet” to tackle defi-
cits, Mr Chawla said pointing out the Central Govern-
ment’s deficit was about 6.2% of the national GDP.
The overall deficit was just under 10%. The aim is to
drive it down to the ideal figure of 3%, which will take
a few years, he said. “Prior to economic crisis it was
2.6%. Increased spending during crisis is what con-
tributed to the deficit. That is now being rolled back.
That coupled with increased eco activity should see it
go down.”
Mr Chawla said the
India had set no time-
frames for the full con-
vertibility of the rupee
as yet. “There is no
roadmap and no time-
table. The recent finan-
cial crisis has also made
us more cautious. But
we will get there at some
point,” he said.
With foreign exchange reserves at an impressive
US$280 billion, there was no restriction on repa-
triation of funds but for conforming to tax laws and
Reserve Bank of India regulations. For the same
reasons, the government did not see merit in issuing
sovereign paper denominated in foreign currency for
NRI investors, Mr Chawla said.
Storm in a teacup
An IAS officer of 1973 batch of the Gujarat cadre, Mr
Chawla, who has held several senior positions in the
Government of India, dismissed recent demonstra-
tions in Mumbai against New Zealand dairy products
as a storm in the teacup.
“More was made of it here in New Zealand than in
India.” He added it was a provincial party that staged
the protest and that there was no possibility of such
action creating create “any foul stink” in the ongoing
discussions with New Zealand. “We’ve made the
point to New and it has understood it well.”
Replying to a question on the Vedanta episode
where the multibillion-dollar project was red signaled
by the courts, Mr Chawla said regulatory approvals
had to be obtained before implementation.
Capital markets were booming, he said, and if
anything, “it’s a little too much on the higher side,”
he said. “While an active and vibrant stock market is
New Zealand
good we must not have bubbles.”
Mr Chawla hoped Bank of Baroda’s New Zealand
business could rope in business enough to encourage
other Indian banks to follow suit in establishing op-
erations here. “On BOB’s success will depend the
commercial response of other banks.”
The articulate, widely experienced senior official
politely refused to hazard a guess on the size of India’s
highly speculated parallel economy. But he said, with
rationalised tax rates that were increasingly in line
with international best practice, direct tax collection
had increased.
He also added that Swiss authorities had tax
sharing agreement providing more specific access for
Indian authorities in relation to persons and banks.
“We’ll have to see how well it works with not only
the Swiss but also other countries. It is also part of
the greater transparency in transactions that is being
pursued by G20 leaders,” he said.
The affable Mr Chawla did not agree with indus-
try captains like Wipro chairman and one of India’s
richest men Azim Premji that expenditure on the
Commonwealth Games could have been put to better
and more productive use.
“The direct expenditure on the Games is not sub-
stantial given the size of the country. Total expendi-
ture like that on the Delhi Metro should not all be laid
at the door of the CWG. Besides, these are events and
activities that bring together countries, sportsmen,
have a certain significance to the overall profile of
the country. Purely doing cost benefit analysis in rela-
tion to such activity is neither beneficial nor relevant.
There will always be a fringe opinion that will think
otherwise.”
With the controversies surrounding the Games
that almost threaten their very staging, the numbers
sharing Mr Premji’s view must be growing by the
minute.

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2 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Search on for Papatoetoe
poll roll fraud perpetrators
The Registrar of Electors has complet-
ed their investigation into enrolment
irregularities in the electoral roll for
the Papatoetoe area of Auckland and
removed 306 enrolments.
The investigation began last month
after the Registrar of Electors identi-
fied apparent enrolment irregularities
in relation to the addresses a number of
people had been enrolled at.
Some 87 names – nearly all of them
Indian sounding and a majority of them
having “Singh” as the last name – were
found to be registered to two modest
sized Papatoetoe homes.
It would stretch the imagination to
even imagine so many people living at
the abovementioned homes.
The four candidates of Indian origin
blamed rivals for playing dirty tricks
on them and at press time no person
had come forward to indicate who
might have been responsible for the
mass registrations from the two ad-
dresses.
Meanwhile Indian Weekender un-
derstands that police raided business
establishments and homes and busi-
nesses in Papatoetoe and surrounds as
part of their investigations into the su-
percity electoral roll fraud.
Detective Inspector Mark Gutry,
crime manager with Counties Manukau
Police, was quoted in the media as
saying that over the last two days
police had carried out searches in the
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Papatoetoe ward. “Properties of inter-
est” were searched by up to 40 police
following a complaint from the Elec-
toral Enrolment Centre, he said.
Meanwhile the Registrar of Electors
has invalidated the enrolments after es-
tablishing the people did not reside at
the addresses stated on the enrolment
forms and has informed the Auckland
Electoral Officer, who is responsible
for conducting the local elections.
Any votes for the upcoming local
elections received from the individual
enrolments, that have been declared
invalid, will be removed from the
count.
The Registrar of Electors is con-
tacting the people affected and provid-
ing assistance to request special voting
papers for the local elections area
where they live.
“New Zealand has a strong record
of integrity in enrolment and voting,”
says Murray Wicks, National Manager
of the Electoral Enrolment Centre.
“The accuracy of the electoral roll is
something we work hard to maintain
through extensive checks and monitor-
ing.”
The police inquiry into the irregu-
larities is continuing. “If people do
have concerns about irregularities in
the Papatoetoe ward then it’s impor-
tant they have the confidence to speak
up and get in touch with us,” Detective
Inspector Gutry said.
“Good progress” on FTA second round
The second round of New Zealand’s FTA/CECA
negotiations with India was held in New Delhi from
10-13 August.
Good progress was made at the second round
with an encouraging measure of convergence around
the shape of many of the chapters contemplated for
inclusion in the FTA, according to a government
media release.
Discussion was assisted through the tabling by
one or both sides of draft chapter text which helped
provide focus to the discussion around the broad
shape of these various chapters.
There was also discussion about each side’s re-
spective approach to the treatment of competition
policy, intellectual property, government procure-
Kiwi, Indian experts brainstorm on security
Three academics from India’s renowned Institute
of Defence and Strategic Analyses travelled to Wel-
lington in September 2010 for the second India-New
Zealand Track II dialogue hosted by the Asia New
Zealand Foundation. This was a return visit follow-
ing the inaugural dialogue, which took place in Delhi
in December 2009.
The sessions covered four areas over two days:
India and the South Pacific, including diaspora;
regional security architecture; the China factor in
Asia-Pacific security; and non-traditional security
threats (NTS), including pandemics. Within this
broad agenda, the discussion was robust, frank and
wide-ranging.
Concerns about the rise and role of China in the
Asia-Pacific were a recurring theme throughout the
dialogue. This presented itself in various ways: bi-
lateral tensions between India and China, concerns
about China’s ambitions for its own role in the Asia-
Pacific region, the growth of nationalism in China
and whether this was being driven by the leadership
or by the people, worsening relations between China
and the US (and other countries) in the South China
Sea, and China’s use of natural and energy resources
in the region to meet its “national interests”.
New Zealand
ment, trade and labour and trade and environment.
While there are difficult issues to be worked
through, it was encouraging that in many areas there
was a good measure of convergence at the level of
principle. A range of intersessional follow-up steps
was agreed to help move various aspects of the ne-
gotiation forward.
The FTA is intended to foster increased trade and
investment flows in both directions. Our aim in these
negotiations is to develop a comprehensive agree-
ment which will allow this to happen and which will
deliver real benefit to both economies.
A third round, to be held in New Zealand, is
scheduled for the last week in October.
Similar attention was paid to the relatively
subdued role of India in the Asia-Pacific (the Pacific
in particular), given what we might expect of a major
world power.
Remarks were also made about the role of New
Zealand in the Asia-Pacific, in that New Zealand was
not just a ‘Western’ country but a country with its
unique place in the Asia-Pacific region.
This is partly a result of the many diaspora com-
munities within New Zealand and the large New
Zealand diaspora throughout the world, with a
growing proportion in Asia.
For its part, India has a sizeable diaspora popula-
tion, including its own Ministry of Overseas Indians.
The Indian communities in the Pacific and in New
Zealand represent one way in which India is visible
in this part of the world.
The success of the Indian diaspora in the US is
bringing greater focus to the way that India success-
fully and effectively engages with its Indian diaspo-
ra. Within this, the role of remittances is contributing
on a very large scale to economic development.
Representing India’s Institute of Defence and
Strategic Analyses were Dr Arvind Gupta, Dr
Pankaj Jha and Dr Rajaram Panda.
3
Indian

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 Indian
New Zealand

An earthquake that brought out the best in us

The fragility of terra firma came to the fore
when Christchurch was struck by a magni-
tude 7.1 earthquake on Saturday 4 September.
The first 40-second tremor ripped a new
fault line on the Canterbury Plains, now
named the Greendale to Rolleston fault scarp.
Road surfaces burst open; bricks tumbled
from walls, roofs and facades; buildings
tilted; railways lines curved into waves from
the power of the shock.
The Christchurch inner city and the
nearby small town of Kaiapoi took the brunt
of the initial tremor and the 19 pre-dawn
aftershocks. Ripped earth, tumbled brick
walls, caved in roofs, split roads and col-
lapsing chimneys pockmarked the city. The
Kaiapoi township will find it pretty difficult
to return to what it was – a laid-back but
thriving community of farmers and commut-
ers seeking the idyll life.
While the media had many superlatives
to describe the ‘devastated’ city, most Can-
tabrians took the earthquake in their stride.
They came together briskly, and with some
authority, to get their city functioning as nor-
mally as possible as soon as possible.
Cantabrians, by nature, are very resilient.
It comes with the terrain – the isolation, the
attitude of self-reliance and the harshness
of the climate makes for a people of sterner
stuff than normal.
Christchurch city and its environs had
already experienced three moderate earth-
quakes in the last 40 years and it was pretty
prepared for an earthquake, or any other di-
saster, through continued practice of disaster
management over the years. Miraculously
the ‘devastating’ earthquake did not claim a
single life, its timing seeing most of its resi-
dents tucked in bed.
The sense of calm that prevailed over the
city, even during the period of aftershocks
that numbered 300 plus over the week, was
the result of both the high level of prepared-
ness from the authorities and the innate
nature of Cantabrians. That sense of calm
was injected into the residents through quick,
effective and open communications. What
residents fear most is not knowing what is
“People are already asking what Christchurch and
Canterbury can learn from this earthquake, and are
putting in place protocols and procedures to be better
prepared for the future...”
happening and Christchurch was clear in its
message of what was happening and what
was required of the residents.
Police moved in swiftly to stem the initial
spate of looting on the first day and although
there were continued incidents of robbery
and looting throughout the week, mostly by
the opportunists, they were very rare.
It took a little over a week to set Christ-
church on its feet, thanks to Civil Defence,
the Christchurch City Council and partner
agencies, and the NZ Government leaping
into action from this very strong platform of
preparedness.
Yes, the city has several crumpled build-
ings and cracked and fissured roads scattered
all over. But the water is back on everywhere
except for a very few places and is drinkable
straight out of the tap. The power was back
on within the day of the earthquake in all but
the most affected placed. It was back on in
almost the entire city within the week.
Portaloos were deployed to the few places
where the sewage system had packed up.
Granted, that it was much inconvenience for
many people but the service was there.
And there is a $4 billion cost tag on the
damages. But Business Canterbury is raring
to go, especially with the summer around the
corner. The weather has been marvellous,
those business that can open are open, and
the local business agencies are already mar-
keting the city as a good place to visit. With
government funding and support, most busi-
nesses will hit their stride sooner rather than
later.
People are already asking what Christ-
church and Canterbury can learn from this
earthquake, and are putting in place proto-
cols and procedures to be better prepared for
the future (lest the lessons learnt be forgotten
too quickly).
The most surprising element of the earth-
quake was the sense of belonging and the
sense of responsibility that the residents dis-
played.
In the first hours of dawn on the day of the
earthquake much of Christchurch was calm.
The streets were safe and calm throughout.
People were enquiring of their neighbours, or
helping out or just standing around calmly on
the streets as the city rocked to aftershocks.
The look was grim generally but quick smiles
were also there. And, of course, a fair bit of
rubber necking later once they realised much
of the main danger had passed.
At one time, the Civil Defence operations
were asking people to stop donating as the
welfare centres around the city were surfeit
with food, blankets and other materials.
Volunteers were also asked to come back
when they were needed as there were just too
many of them. One week on, volunteers are
now being directed towards the recovery part
of the emergency operations.
And offers of help and aid from more for-
tunate residents of Christchurch, and from
people from other parts of New Zealand, con-
tinued unabated throughout the week.
Canterbury will always live with the
threat of an earthquake – seismic modelling
has found that earthquakes that could cause
significant property damage and loss of life
could recur on average in the Christchurch
area every 55 years.
It is a price one has to pay for living in
Canterbury but it does make for a better type
of person to be living in the shadow of a
giant, it can be said.

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The New Lynn trench during construction in 2008 (Photo: Dev Nadkarni)

Email:
Indian Weekenderharish@sonasansaar.com
| September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz |Website: www.sonasansaar.co.nz 5
 Indian
New Zealand
NZ swim team farewelled Indian style AIS St Helens has largest
Bhavna Thapar
An Indian style farewell was held in Auckland last
weekend for the New Zealand Swimming team as
the Delhi 2010 games but Kumar believes when
it comes to the pride of the community the Indian
people will make it happen.
ever graduation
it embarked for the Delhi “Let’s brush aside any At the largest graduation cere- their respective qualifica-
2010 Commonwealth feelings of negativity or mony in AIS St Helens’ 20 year tions spanning: Hospitality,
Games. adverse publicity and let us history, 221 graduates received Arts, Tourism Management,
The official farewell go with a positive attitude, their certificates, diplomas, International Business, In-
organised by Swimming enjoy the games, win some bachelor and master’s degrees formation technology and
New Zealand included medals and above all enjoy at in a well-attended, vibrant Business Administration.
an array of traditional the cultural experience,” and multi-cultural ceremony The awards were then con-
Indian costume, food, says Mr Bajaj. at the Bruce Mason Centre ferred by the President. The
art, music and sculptures. in Takapuna on Monday 13th new graduates were then
Kumar Bajaj, who Distinguished guests September. individually announced on
is travelling to the Delhi who attended the event in- After the traditional processions into the audito- stage by their Head of Programme and the Academ-
Games as part of the cluded North Shore City rium of staff and graduands in their colourful robes, ic Director, Dr Mike Roberts, and congratulated by
Indian Contingent was Mayor Andrew Williams, a traditional Maori ‘powhiri’ (welcome) initiated the President, CEO and guest speaker.
invited to speak at the Chairman of New Zealand the formal proceedings. The President, Dr Richard The Academic Director announced the AIS St
event and give the young Olympic Committee and the Goodall noted that the number of degree and higher Helens Top Scholar and Enterprise Award winners
athletes and their families advice on their travels official New Zealand diploma graduates had risen steadily over the years and representatives from: Westpac, Southern Cross
to India. swimmers and management. The Delhi 2010 with only seven in 1995, 98 in the year 2000, 218 in Travel Insurance, Frog Recruitment and Ezi World
There have been a lot of doubts surrounding Commonwealth Games begin on October 3, 2010. 2005 and a total of 450 this year. Cargo presented an additional seven sponsored
In his address the CEO, Mr John Wood, in con- awards.
gratulating the graduands on their success reminded Valedictorians Sarina Pereira PGDipIB and
them that they were supported by family, friends and Kalilea Fahiua BTM spoke on behalf of all the
faculty and challenged them to define their dreams, graduates and expressed gratitude for the support
continue to develop themselves in an ever-changing of family and friends, and thanked all members of
world, seize opportunities and use the precious com- staff, especially teachers, for helping them grow and
modity of time wisely. achieve their goals in life. Juanita Helg, General
Mr David Shearer, Member of Parliament for Mt Manager of Telelink, an alumna of the institute
Albert where the two campuses of the institution are (2006), gave a brief address highlighting how her
located, was guest speaker and he warmly congratu- AIS St Helens qualification had assisted her achieve
lated the graduands on their achievements and high- success, and urged all graduates to pursue their
lighted that their qualifications gave them the poten- goals with passion.
tial to not only improve the lives of themselves and Following the formal proceedings, an enjoy-
their families but to make a contribution to the well- able reception, including the cutting of a very large
being of global communities. He urged them to take graduation cake, enabled people to mix socially and
some risks so that in later life they would not regret provided further opportunities for photographs cap-
opportunities and challenges they had not taken up. turing the happy and very important day in so many
The Academic Registrar, Mr Richard Smith, for- people’s lives.
mally confirmed the eligibility of the candidates for

6 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 7

Indian
Mary Kom wins World Boxing
Championship; aims for
Olympics medal
Bridgetown, Sept 19 (IBNS) India’s Mary
Kom won her 5th consecutive World
Boxing Championsip title, defeating
Romania’s Steluta Duta 16-6 in the 48
kg here.
She defended her title. Earlier, India’s
best known woman boxer MC Mary
Kom moved into the final defeating
Philippines’ Alice Kate Aparri 8-1 in the
semifinals.
The mother of two children from India’s
northeastern state of Manipur fought
her old rival Steluta Duta, who beat
Kazakhstan’s Nazgul Boranbayeva 10-5,
in other semifinal bout.
India’s Kavita (+81kg) was stopped
for a bronze after going down 2-14 to
Ukraine’s Kateryna Kuzhel in the semi-
finals.
Mary Kom is the only boxer to have won
a medal in each edition of the World
Championship.
Union Sports Minister M S Gill on Sun-
day greeted M C Mary Kom for her fifth
successive gold at the World Champion-
ships, as the diminutive pugilist vowed
for a medal in London Olympics in 2012.
Praising Mary Kom for having ‘excep-
India Briefs
Telgi gets 7 year jail
term in fake stamp pa-
per case
Bangalore: Kingpin of the multi-crore
fake stamp paper case Abdul Karim
Telgi was on Saturday sentenced to
seven years rigorous imprisonment
by a special court here. Special Court
judge Chnadrashekhar Patil also im-
posed a fine of Rs 50,000 each for the
two charges under IPC sections 256
and 259 (for possession of material
for printing fake stamp paper) against
him. The Court also sentenced 16 oth-
ers to five years rigorous imprisonment
in the same case and imposed a fine
of Rs 10,000 on each. Telgi and the 16
others were convicted on September
14 in the case registered in Madiwala
police station in 2001. Telgi has been
so far convicted in 46 such cases
across the country.
Rupee rises to three-
month high against US
dollar
Mumbai: The rupee was trading at
46.97 per dollar at noon last Friday, the
strongest level since June 22. It earlier
touched 45.9450 per dollar. Buoyed by
strong gains in the local stocks and a
weak dollar in the overseas markets,
the Indian rupee rose to nearly three-
month high on Friday. At around noon,
the partially convertible rupee was
trading at 46.97 per dollar, stronger
than 46.14/15 at close on Thursday. It
is up about 1% this week and earlier
touched 45.9450, the strongest level
since June 22. The rupee, which was
8 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
tional talent’, Gill said, “ I am delighted
that she won the World Champion-
ship title for the fifth time. She has an
exceptional record. Manipur has great
sports talent and Mary Kom is the best. I
congratulate here,” he said.
The mother of two said,” I’m over-
whelmed and do not know what to say.
I feel happy. I am just so happy to have
done it.”
Mary Kom scripted record winning a
fifth successive World Championship
gold on Saturday night when she out
punched Romania’s Steluta Duta in the
fly weight 48kg final in Barbados.
Kom, also known as “ Magnificent
Mary”, said it was very demanding and
emotionally draining to leave her sons
behind for competing and training. “
But I have managed to do it so far and
hopefully I will continue doing it at least
till the London Olympics. I want to win
an Olympic medal. That’s my dream,”
she added.
“I’m not hanging my gloves, and I will do
my best to look after my family and win
medals for the country too,” India’s best-
known woman boxer said.
headed for its biggest weekly advance
since July, climbed to a three-month
high after the Reserve Band of India
(RBI) on Thursday raised its bench-
mark interest rates for the fifth time this
year. The Bombay Stock Exchange
(BSE) Sensex was last up 1% at 19,628
after touching a high of 19,639 while
the National Stock Exchange (NSE)
Nifty was up 1.1% at 5,893 after being
as high as 5,898. Both the indices are
trading close to their highest levels
since January 2008. The India econo-
my grew by 8.8% from a year earlier in
the second quarter.
1,70,000 pilgrims from
India going for Haj
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on
Thursday gave its approval to various
issues concerning the Haj 2010 opera-
tions. This year approximately 1,70,000
pilgrims from India will be going for
Haj. Out of these 1,25,000 pilgrims will
go through Haj Committee of India.
The number of pilgrims who could
perform Haj during a particular year is
decided by the Saudi Arabian Gov-
ernment. Air travel arrangements for
these 1,25,000 pilgrims will be made
by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. These
pilgrims will be carried from 21 embar-
kation points through chartered flights.
Bhopal and Goa have been added as
new embarkation points this year. This
year each pilgrim going on Haj through
Haj Committee of India will pay
Rs.16,000 ( plus airport charges) as
air fare and the balance air fare (cost
of operations) will be borne by the
Government. This year most of the pil-
grims will be carried by Saudi Arabian
Airlines, National Private Air Services
US team visits Sikh shrines
ahead of Obama visit
Amritsar: Assuming that Barack Obama might
pay a visit to some Sikh temples here during his
tour of India in November, a US team conducted
a security survey in Punjab’s Amritsar district
on Wednesday, state police said.
A six-member US team visited Amritsar to
inspect different areas, including the holy Sikh
shrine Harmandar Sahib, in anticipation that
US President Barack Obama may pay a visit to
some tourist spots as well holy places during his
India visit in November, district police chief K S
Pannu was quoted as saying on Thursday.
“They (US team) inspected various tourist
spots, important roads and Sikh shrines in the
district.”
US doc buys Nano for family in Varanasi
Varanasi: American doctor Minhaj Naiyer made
the first global car purchase on eBay India Motors,
the leading online Motors marketplace, for his
family in Varanasi.
The USA-based doctor bought a Tata Nano for
his family based in Varanasi through eBay Motors
from Mumbai dealer JMD Auto India.
Ashish Shah, Head-eBay Motors felicitated
Naiyer & his family at an event in Varanasi.
Naiyer wanted to gift a Nano to his family
in Varanasi specifically his cousin, Sarfaraz
Ahamed. The doctor was specifically looking for
an easy way to buy the vehicle and was happy to
find it on auction on eBay Motors listed by Trading
Assistant Motors Street.
Naiyer won the auction for the 2010 Nano LX
at Rs. 180,000 and completed the transaction.
Company Limited (NAS) and Al-Wafeer
Air, which have been selected through
a sealed tender process.
Air India will coordinate the operations
and provide support on cost basis,
wherever required.
RBI raises interest rates
New Delhi: To fight inflation, the Re-
serve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday
raised the benchmark short-term
interest rates—repo by 25 bps to six
percent and reverse repo by 50 basis
points to five percent. Repo rate is the
short-term lending rate and Reverse
repo rate is the short-term borrowing
rate. The cash reserve ratio, which
is the level of deposits that commer-
cial banks must keep with the RBI,
remained unchanged at 6.0 percent.
“Inflation remains the dominant
concern in macroeconomic manage-
ment”, RBI said in a press release. The
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised
interest rates for the fifth time this year
on Thursday to tame the inflation that
is running well above comfort levels
in the fast-growing economy. India’s
economy grew in the March-June
quarter by 8.8 per cent over a year
earlier, its fastest pace in nearly three
years while industrial output rose 13.8
per cent annually in July, the fastest
since April.
India go down in FIFA
ranking
Kolkata: Two straight defeats to Thai-
land pushed India to 160th, 22nd place
down from 138th, according to latest
FIFA rankings. India lost 47 points
India
It was not actually known whether Obama
will come to Amritsar. After evaluating various
parameters and security arrangements, they
will decide the places where the US president
will actually go.
The team left for Mumbai, said Pannu.
The team comprising security personnel and
officials of the US embassy visited the holy Sikh
shrine, Harmandar Sahib, popularly known as
the Golden Temple. They met the officials of the
Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee
(SGPC).
“We are very happy and all set to welcome
Obama at the Golden Temple,” SGPC chief
Avtar Singh Makkar was quoted as saying.
Naiyer said, “I was looking at gifting my
mother and cousin brother the Nano after reading
& hearing about it. After looking at various
options, I turned to my trusted source eBay. I
logged onto eBay India Motors and to my luck
found a Nano listing.
“I have been transacting on eBay for a long
time and trusted the brand to purchase the car. The
entire process from selecting the vehicle to making
the payment has been a wonderful experience. I
thank eBay Motors for making my dream first car
into a reality.”
Naiyer is a doctor currently applying for a spe-
cialization in Cardiology. Living in the US for a
long time, he has become an avid eBay user, with
over 500 transactions.
since the previous rankings last month
to tally 82 points and is now just two
places above Pakistan (162) but below
to other South Asian nations. Whilst
Maldives topped among the South
Asian countries with 143, Bangladesh
(145), Sri Lanka (148) and Nepal (156)
are in the higher slots. India, who were
24th among Asian nations last month,
now occupy the 33rd place. Besides
two back to back defeats, India’s rank-
ing lowered due to less number soccer
matches they played in recent times.
Ex-Pak ruler Musharraf
to launch new outfit
Islamabad: Former Pakistan president
Pervez Musharraf will launch a new
political party in London on October 1
as he prepares to re-enter the politi-
cal arena of the country ahead of 2013
general elections. Reports, quoting
Musharraf’s spokesman Moham-
mad Saif, said on Tuesday that the
former military ruler will address a
press conference at the UK capital on
October one, where he will launch the
party’s manifesto and explain before
world press the functioning of the cur-
rent Pakistani government. It will be
followed by a rally at Birmingham on
October 3, which has a large popula-
tion of people of Pakistani origin. The
rally is being described by Musharraf’s
aides as a demonstration of the sup-
port enjoyed by his new party, the All
Pakistan Muslim League, among Paki-
stanis abroad. Musharraf’s supporters
from other parts of the world are also
expected to attend the rally. Another
meeting is being planned at Manches-
ter on October 9.
Indian

Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 9

Indian
Fiji

India-ADB-USP collaborate for ICT, education

A Government of India-funded initiative to
strengthen higher education and promote
climate change research in the Pacific region
will take off soon as a result of joint efforts
by several leading universities in India, the
University of South Pacific (USP) in Fiji, and
the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
As part of the initiative, a team of experts
from the ADB and the USP have just conclud-
ed discussions with officials from the Indian
Institutes of Technology, Indira Gandhi Na-
tional Open University, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, and other higher academic insti-
tutions in India.
An important outcome of the discussions was
a collaboration agreement between USP and
the premier Indian universities and tertiary
institutions, to facilitate faculty exchange
programme and joint curriculum develop-
ment to strengthen higher education and
promote joint research on key issues such as
climate change and private sector develop-
ment in the Pacific.
The Indian tertiary education sector has been
collaborating with the Fiji based USP in Suva
for the past few years now. USP Vice-Chan-
cellor Rajesh Chandra, who just returned
from India as part of the joint delegation, has
said the relationship is growing into a major
academic collaboration.
“It is a new relationship and we are trying
to build new relationships. And it could be a
major partnership for the future, both because
it brings India as a significant cash donor and
also because the Asian Development Bank
is a very major player and we are looking at
a larger partnership between the ADB and
USP,” Prof Chandra told Radio Australia’s
Gemima Garrett.
Prof Chandra said he visited the Indian In-
USP Vice Chancellor Prof Rajesh Chandra in his office in Suva. Photo: Dev Nadkarni
stitute of Technology at Kharagpur, the first
institute of technology in India as also the
Jawaharlal Nehru University.
USP has signed an MOU with the Indira
Gandhi National Open University. This is
now the world’s largest university with over
2.8 million students. “The relationship will
allow us to procure some material from them
to do some joint research and to exchange
staff,” Prof Chandra said.
The arrangements would substantially and
speedily expand USP’s distance learning Prof
Chandra said. Half of the University’s 20,000
students study by distance education.
India is now a dialogue partner with the
Pacific Island Forum and at the last Forum
in August in Vanuatu a large Indian delega-
tion was present (as reported by Indian Week-
ender).
India says it is interested in playing a devel-
opment role in the Pacific and it has funded
smaller things in the past, especially to do
with climate change. The present arrange-
ment with USP is a larger amount.
This is the first time that the Government
of India is funding an ADB-assisted project
of this kind in the education sector in the
Pacific. The Government of India is extend-
ing the assistance in the spirit of South-South
cooperation.
The US$1 million grant by the Government of
India will be used to support ADB’s project
“The establishment of this
new strategic academic
partnership between top India-
based academic institutions
and USP promotes regional
economic cooperation through
higher education and will
hopefully lead to other similar
partnerships”
preparatory efforts, which are being imple-
mented in partnership with the USP and its
13 different campuses in the Pacific.
ADB’s technical assistance will directly
support upgrading of the University’s ICT
network and pave the way for a larger invest-
ment project. As a result, a large proportion
of USP courses are expected to be available
through ICT-based systems.
USP is one of the world’s only two region-
al universities and serves the entire Pacific
islands region with over 20,000 students and
campuses spread across the region. It also
runs a successful journalism programme in
Suva.

An open letter to the Indian community from Len Brown

The Indian community in Auckland is very important to me. The last census says that 74,442
people in Auckland indentified as Indian. I have strong links to your community and value your
traditions, history and spirit.

The Indian community also plays an indispensible role in our country with growing economic, social
and cultural contributions.

Across Auckland we have a unique blend of people and communities providing us with a vibrancy,

“AucklAnd
energy and diversity which is the wellspring of our future prosperity.

Our challenge is to build these foundations. We need to make sure local community identities are
protected and enhanced and that the focus does not simply shift to another part of town.

it’s our tiME My background is in working alongside diverse communities. I want to see special Indian events,
such as Diwali, India’s National Day and Independence Day celebrated in the new supercity.

to VotE”
I will set up and work alongside a new South East Asian & Indian community advisory group and
build strong economic and cultural links with India.

I meet many people from the Indian community who are worried that their local identity will be lost
in the new supercity. We need inclusive leadership to make sure people retain their voice and I am
committed to working with all communities to develop our city.

As Mayor of Manukau I have delivered the lowest average rates, water and wastewater charges
in the region. I have worked alongside the police to cut crime. My council has helped get rid
of graffiti, promoted education, delivered transport infrastructure and supported community
organisations.

Most importantly, I know how to run a fast growing and dynamic city, and how to get things done.

Remember to tick Len Brown for Mayor and freepost your voting papers back
straight away. To find out more about my policies and vision for Auckland visit
www.lenbrownformayor.co.nz or call our campaign office on 09 921 6786

10 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Motibhais take over
Fiji’s oldest and largest newspaper changed hands
last week as ownership of the Fiji Times moved
from the Rupert Murdoch owned News Limited to
leading local business house, the Motibhai Group.
Speaking to Indian Weekender from his office
in Nadi, Motibhai Group chairman Mahendra Patel
– also known as Mac Patel – said this was a big
moment in the group’s long business history.
“This is indeed an exciting development for all
of us. Although I have been involved in the media
in my capacity as company director, this is the first
time that our group is getting involved in owning
an outlet,” he said.
Fiji’s military-backed regime imposed a Media
Industry Development Decree in June this year.
The decree gave media companies three months to
divest foreign shareholdings higher than 10 percent
and to sell to local interests.
News Limited was a majority shareholder and
therefore became ineligible under the decree’s
provisions to continue ownership. The formal sale
proceedings were expected to be completed by the
end of this week.
Three editors and journalists have welcomed
news of the sale of the paper as good for environ-
mental journalism reporting in the region. But they
reserved judgment on the future independence of
the newspaper under future owners Motibhai.
“The paper will continue to function as it pres-
ently does and we see no change in its operations,”
Mr Patel told Indian Weekender.
Speaking at an event at the University of the
South Pacific last week, Mai Life magazine editor
Ricardo Morris said it was the one newspaper in
Fiji that had the financial and reporting resources
to respond to major natural disasters in the country
and to report on them.
But Morris questioned whether the paper would
be able to afford to continue that role when it is
taken over by the Motibhai Group on September
22.
Fiji
Mahendra Patel, Motibhai Group Chairman
(Photo: Dev Nadkarni)
Dawn Gibson, journalism and literature student
and former editor of Wansolwara, the USP Journal-
ism Programme’s student publication said there
would not be much immediate change to the Fiji
Times in light of the current censorship climate.
She added that the Fiji Times had been forced to
become more focused on human interest issues,
including climate change, in the post-coup environ-
ment.
The Fiji Sun has reported that Motibhai chair-
man and chief executive officer Mahendra Patel,
who had previously been a director of the Fiji
Times would name the new management team on
September 22 – six days before the decree deadline
expires.
Head of journalism at the University of the
South Pacific, Shailendra Singh, said there was
general relief the newspaper was in good business
hands but there was now another dilemma.
“In terms of local ownership people are saying
it’s a mixed bag because of Motibhai’s considerable
business interests in Fiji. People are asking how
will this affect the Fiji Times editorially? Will the
publishers be editorially neutral?” he said.
- Dev Nadkarni

Business
SIT Queenstown Campus
0800 QT 4 SIT / 03 442 5375
info@sit.ac.nz www.sit.ac.nz
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 11
 Indian
Still ‘Roc’ing after 10 years
Suva: This month, the RoC Market turned 10
and with over 120 markets since its inception
it is Suva City’s longest running, consistently
held street market.
Still RoCing after 10 years the RoC
Market is a non-profit, community event that
continues to support and develop budding
artists and crafts people.
The RoC Market crew had a low key cel-
ebration last weekend, with some live music
and a relaxed atmosphere. The 10 year birth-
day bash is scheduled for December where or-
ganisers, market goers and vendors will mark
the significant 10 year milestone.
The organisers hope to get the Suva City
Council on board to help close an additional
road for the Christmas market, as they have
outgrown the current space on Loftus Street.
New market event managers Jodi Hayward
and Talei Wilson took over the running of the
market in April this year and have grown the
market from 32 vendors to a database of 107
with the backing of a small but big hearted
group of sponsors/supporters who all chip in
the keep the market going.
They say the market has grown so popular,
that this month, the market was fully booked
before the notifications were sent out to
vendors.
From the provision of tents and trans-
port vehicles, to rubbish collection and radio
From Mehendi to Moko
“Mehndi Moko” and “Rangoli Art for Kids”
workshops will be held at the Rotorua Arts
Village on October 1 for Rotorua children.
These workshops are part of the Rotorua
Deepawali Festival, and aimed at building
whakawhanaungatanga (Hindu-Maori rela-
tions).
The art workshops will be organised by
Gina Wright, a Maori artist who is from Tainui
(Ngati Naho) on her father’s side and Irish on
her mother’s side. Her great grandmother was
a gypsy – believed to be originally from tribes
from Rajasthan, India.
“I have always felt an affinity with Indian
culture and art and have been practising
Mehndi since I was a teen,” said Ms Wright.
“Since the focus of this year’s festival is
Youth, I wanted to contribute something for
the Rotorua children, especially during their
school holidays.”
Being an artist, Ms Wright said “organising
free art workshops would be the easiest thing
to do”.
She enjoys working with Hindu Council
of New Zealand. During the 2009 Deepawali
Festival, Gina helped with Mehndi (temporary
Henna tattoo) and raised funds for Ekal Vidya-
laya. Ekal Vidyalayas are one-teacher schools
12
airtime, Suva City’s longest
running community street event is sup-
ported by: Matenga Creative Limited (flag-
ship sponsor); GDC Communications; ANZ;
Green Steps; Legend FM; Wai Tui; Colonial
/ BSP; Coca-Cola; Nestle; Vodafone; Pasifika
Tents; and Esquires.
“We are always on the look out looking
for more RoCing supporters, so if you have
something to offer, please get in touch,” says
Ms Hayward.
“With an overwhelming number of new
vendors and the ever faithful stall holders of
nearly ten years, the RoC Market is set to RoC
this Sunday,” she says.
Market organisers are urging locals,
expats and tourists alike to join the 400 other
‘Market Goers’ between 9am and 4pm, on
Loftus Street, next to Dolphin’s Plaza in Suva
city this Sunday.
Ms Hayward says Market goers can expect
to see a variety of goodies on display at this
week’s market with over 75 stall holders set to
sell their home and hand made wares.
“From delicious home made jams, cakes
and pickles to beautiful hand made jewellery
and wonderful local art – its all happening at
the RoC street market this Sunday,” says Ms
Hayward.
“We will have some interesting new
vendors this month including the Suva
Gramma Ex-students Association, some
artists all the way from the west and a variety
of hand crafted woodwork, toys, clothes,
babywear, t-shirts and sulus.
“We have been keen to get more artists
involved and we are very happy to see a
growing presence of artists including, tattoo
art, Samoa prints, contemporary home-based
artists and of course traditional Fijian art on
masi,” says Ms Hayward.
Earlier this year organisers started a
‘Buskers Corner’ launched by up and coming
Reggae artist Inoke (KNOX) Kalounisiga
who entertained the crowd with his mellow
live tunes.
“For the Buskers Corner we provide the
space, the mic, some speakers and a col-
lection box. The artists sit there and sing/
perform and people walk past and flick them
what ever spare change they have - it’s called
established in tribal areas of India to bring edu-
cation and literacy to underprivileged children.
Ms Wright, along with Shaloh Mitchell from
Ohinemutu village and Dr Guna Magesan,
General Secre-
tary of Hindu
Council of
New Zealand,
was one of
the members
who organised
Rotorua Holi
Festival earlier
this year.
It was during
these Holi fes-
tivities, that
Mehndi and Ta
Moko art forms
of two cultures
were brought
together possibly the very first time in New
Zealand, instigating a new phrase, Mehndi
Moko.
Hindu Council of New Zealand has been
promoting inter-cultural exchanges in arts,
culture and heritage. Celebrating Hindu festi-
vals such as Deepawali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan
Fiji
Busking and is very common throughout the
world. KNOX was able to sell his CD’s and
received some decent donations during his
performance,” says Ms Hayward.
KNOX who will be performing at the
market again this weekend was the first of
many artists organisers hope will take ad-
vantage of the market promo spot. Organisers
are inviting other performers to come along
to showcase their talent during the market
and promote themselves. Anyone wanting to
profile themselves and get the word out about
their talent should get in touch with organis-
ders.
The dates for the RoC Market are set in
concrete for the rest of the year, If you are in
Suva around these times, make sure to take
a dekko and pick up a bargain in the unique
atmosphere:
• 19th September 2010 - HAPPY BIRTH-
DAY RoC
• 17th October 2010 – PINK THEME – in
support of the Fiji Cancer Society
• 21st November 2010 – DIWALI THEME
• 19th December 2010 - CHRISTMAS
AND 10 YEAR CELEBRATIONS
Community
on a wider community scale is part of promot- such as coloured rice, sand and flowers to create
ing and sharing culture. colourful designs. This workshop is aimed at
A day of fun and creativity with an introduc- children aged 5-11 years.
tion to local youth on some of the most beau- Mehndi is a temporary form of skin art
tiful ancient typically applied during special occasions such
Hindu and other as weddings and festivals. This workshop is
Indian art forms aimed 12-18 age group.
at the Rotorua These workshops are free. All interested
arts village is a must email rotorua.deepawali@gmail.com or
way of bring- register through our festival website http://ro-
ing people to- toruadeepawali.org
gether and help The Rotorua Deepawali Festival will be
u nde r st a nd i ng celebrated at the Energy Events Centre on Sat-
between cul- urday, 2 October 2010. Last year, more than
tures. 3000 people from both Rotorua and out of town
“Combin- came to participate, celebrate, and enjoy this
ing the talent unique smoke-free, alcohol-free and meat-free
of local youth family event.
and the explora- The event will start around 10am with in-
tion of Indian auguration ceremony, followed by Indian art
art we are sure exhibitions and workshops on Rangoli (ancient
to arrive at some exciting creations unique Indian art), Mehndi (temporary tattoo) decorat-
to Rotorua,” said Grace Hoet, Manager of ing, Indian cooking, and Saree tying.
Rotorua Art Village. A spectacular Indian cultural show with
“I am happy to assist Rotorua Deepawali various classical and folk dances of India
Festival in any way to promote it to the wider will be performed by artists in the evening at
community,” she added. 6.30pm. The festival will conclude with a fire-
Rangoli is an art form which uses mediums works display at 9pm.
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian

Jai Mata Di Jai Mata Di

Shree Durga Mata Ki Chowki

Organised by Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of NZ Inc
to raise funds for the construction of Shirdi Saibaba Mandir

Indu Kapur Pramod Kapur

Fr ee Ent
ry F
t r y ree
En
on Sunday 3rd October 2010
at Mahatma Gandhi Centre
145 New North Road, Eden Terrace, Auckland
Programme Mata Chunni &Coconut
available at counter from 3.00pm onwards
4.00pm-5.00pm- Ganesh & Durga Vandana
Bhajans & Chanting by Indu & Pramod Kapur
5.00pm-7.30pm- Bhajans & Chanting For Pooja & Sankalp bookings, please contact:
.7.30pm onwards- Aarti followed by Maha Prasad Pramod Kapur 09 625 8844, Shivani 09 624 0577
Hari 09-630 5817, Bhaskar 09 820 2534
Sponsors
Panworld Travel Centre South Auckland Dental
0800 PANWORLD Ph: 2700 200 International
Indian Cuisine
(0800 726 96753) Open 7 Days Ph 09 631 0036
URJA PRODUCTS
Fax: 09-2561402

future print
print :: design :: digital :: management

Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 13

 Indian
Indian
From the Editor
Delhi’s ugly underbelly on show…
Even if the remaining week to the Delhi Commonwealth Games goes without further
incident – a highly unlikely prospect going by the sequence of disastrous events
so far – and the Games are actually held, well, successfully, its Indian organisers
would have given the country’s signature phrase ‘Incredible India’ a whole new
meaning.
The Games have faced an unending stream of problems beginning with the impos-
sibly late start to the preparations. Though the country had four years to prepare,
any substantial work on infrastructural facilities was begun barely a year ago,
resulting in incomplete facilities, substandard construction that has begun falling
apart even before the Games have begun and mounting allegations of corruption,
nepotism and favouritism in awarding contracts.
The collapse of a foot bridge and parts of the ceiling over the boxing facility
besides a random shootout injuring a couple of Taiwanese tourists in central New
Delhi have shaken the Games at its very foundation in the past week, creating an
unending swirl of rumours and doubts if the Games will go ahead at all.
These problems have been compounded because of a heavier than normal rainy
season that has resulted in f loods in large swathes of the subcontinent from Paki-
stan in the west to Assam in the east, brining in its wake large scale disruption and
outbreaks of mosquito borne diseases like dengue, which has plagued areas around
the Games venues for the past month.
It is hardly a surprise that as things stand, a few gold medal-winning star sport-
speople have pulled out citing these problems and entire national teams have put
their decision to participate in the Games on hold.
Though every organiser of events of such scale is bound to experience tense
moments during the run up no matter how well it is planned, the state of affairs we
have seen unfold in Delhi these past few weeks is unprecedented for any interna-
tional event anywhere.
While everybody everywhere would sympathise with the country on account of
the damage done by the weather and the security situation, which indeed are world
phenomena today, there can be none of it for the selfishly indulgent mismanagement
and the callously blatant corruption that has resulted in embarrassingly delayed
and substandard facilities.
Delegations from New Zealand and three other countries were so appalled and
disgusted at the filthy conditions at the Games village, that they not only refused to
stay there but termed the quarters unlivable – with one having said that describing
it as filthy was actually being generous.
At the time of writing, the New Zealand contingent is divided on whether to stay
at the alternative accommodation offered to them at the village, stay in hotels or pull
out entirely. Prime Minister John Key has said he would respect athletes’ individual
decisions on whether to participate given the chaos in Delhi.
Even if the Games go ahead without further incident, their run up has unfortu-
nately served to highlight the legendarily monumental corruption that imbues all
spheres of public life in India on the world stage.
Delhi’s ugly underbelly has grown so brazenly and glaringly big that the tat-
tered and increasingly diaphanous loincloth of a cloying pretence of propriety is no
longer enough to conceal it from the world’s eyes.
Corrupt sports politicos have not only thwarted a billion Indians from winning
Olympic gold, but have also shown the world how it can thwart a billion Indians
from staging an event like the Commonwealth Games.
The stories of corruption surrounding the Games and their consequences which
are there for all to see will only serve to intensify long held beliefs of the systemic
corruption in the Indian polity in world opinion. This is bound to be ref lected in the
world’s dealings with the country in all spheres for years to come and will require a
herculean effort to bring about a change in perception.
The Games were a golden chance to showcase the world that India could do it –
just as China did with the Olympics. And even if the Games go ahead without further
incident and minimal disruptions, it will be rather like the dog walking on two legs
– it’s awkward, but everyone is surprised that it’s done at all.
Right thinking Indians, embarrassed beyond words by the shoddy, self-serving
machinations of Delhi’s corrupt and unprincipled mandarins that have brought
such ignominy to the nation would be hoping for this outcome in the least.
– Dev Nadkarni
Indian Weekender Volume 2 No. 13
Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Group editor-in-chief: Dev Nadkarni dev@indianweekender.co.nz
Online editor: Arvind Kumar arvind@indianweekender.co.nz
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14
… And a bit of the Delhi belly in Papatoetoe
Whoever thought up the idea of rigging the Supercity electoral rolls with dozens of names linked to two
residential addresses in Papatoetoe – either for willful fraud or to discredit electoral rivals – must go
down as one of the most childishly ham handed acts.
It is amazing that the perpetrators assumed that such bluff could be pulled off at all in this country
where electoral and other records are all computerised and therefore such brazen and poorly thought
out frauds are easily detectable. 
It took hardly any time for the authorities to determine that two small homes in the Papatoetoe area
had dozens of Indian sounding names – mostly Singh – registered as voters. Many of these people
obviously did not reside in the electoral area and certainly not in the two small homes cited – if not for
anything else, for the sheer physical implausibility.
What were the perpetrators thinking? Such bluff is a far cry from the ballot box stuffing, booth captur-
ing, candidate kidnapping and voter intimidation that is not uncommon in the more dismally run states
in India. 
Having detected the attempted fraud early, the falsely enrolled names were deleted from the rolls by the
authorities without delay and before the ballot papers were posted last week. 
Meanwhile, none of the four candidates of Indian origin have claimed knowledge of who was respon-
sible except blaming the other for a “ frame-up” and offering all sorts of theories of how this might
have come to pass.
 At the time of writing, the NZ Police are investigating who is responsible. Reports said over 40 detec-
tives were involved in the enquiries, which constitute a gross violation of electoral law. It is only a
question of time before they zero in on the perpetrators.
This development comes at a time when India’s image continues to receive a battering on account of
the shameful developments in New Delhi in the run up to the Commonwealth Games. The words ‘cor-
ruption’ and ‘incompetence’ have been used to describe everything related to the Games in the past
few weeks. 
Those same words will be echoed here in New Zealand as revelations in the Papatoetoe events are
reported in the news media in the coming weeks as police investigations progress. Unfortunately, those
very words are bound to be associated with people of Indian origin – since clearly it is these who are
involved in these developments, given the names in the rigged rolls. 
The larger community must co-operate with the authorities in every possible way to help the record
state and mitigate the effects of the human tendency to paint birds of a feather with the same brush.
Letters
Pandit Ganapati Bhat in Auckland 
US audiences have enjoyed Ganapati during his last 3 visits to US. Thanks to Sri Balakrishna
Bhat for sponsoring this fine artist. Kudos to all New Zealand supporters!
GG Hegde
--
Commonwealh Games 
I have heard that the sports village and other facilities and the road network in Delhi is still not
ready for the games and there will be chaos and it may diminish the name of India. Lot of rumours
flying around. 
Kuldeep Arora
--
Why they love India 
It’s true our past is fabulous, but what we are doing today, senslessly following the western
culture and consumerism. Why Indian Government is ashamed of funding Vedas study? I call on
big business – Ambani’s of Reliance, Birla’s, Laxmi Mittal, Ratan Tata, Munjals of Hero and other
big boys to contribute to the institutions and start serious research in the Vedas and other Indian
ancient literature. Indian Weekender take the challenge and start Vedas institute in New Zealand
Kuldeep Arora
It is so easy to love India! It is Pûrna Bhûmi, Veda Bhûmi, Deva Bhûmi - Bhârat.
Shaas
Yes we were the first poets [Vedas]; first to have intuited about cosmic reality; Consciousness,
but that was and is the contribution of small community; last 300 years mainstream India has
copied everything; there is nothing now or very little of ancient wisdom; we have only hunted and
gathered easily accessible technology like Mobiles, computers, infrastructure and Delhi imperial-
ism ....
Lokkur Vasanthi Rao
Ten top stories on iwk.co.nz
1. From Mehndi to Moko
2. “Shera” song launched for Delhi CWG 2010
3. Breakthrough eco-friendly product launched
4. An earthquake that brought out the best in us
5. NZ kids to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi
6. Why they loved India
7. Shahnaz Husain Signature Salon in Auckland
8. Big Kiwi-Bolly flick for RWC
9. Hindi Diwas today
10. “I will be doing dangerous stunts”
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Will Asia save New Zealand?
Rakesh Krishnan Simha
The reality of western decline and Asian affluence are forcing New Zealand to find new friends in the world’s largest continent.
LIFE magazine once did a photo feature on
Australia headlined: The Luckiest Country.
“Luckiest” because at the height of the Cold War
the sunny nation, tucked away in the armpit of
the world, was safe from the danger of nuclear
fallout – a very real threat those days. But it
seemed the Aussies were not fully satisfied with
their location in Asia. “Given a chance most
Australians would like to tow their country up
the seas and position it somewhere in the North
Atlantic between Europe and the United States,”
wrote LIFE.
Like their cousins across the ditch, many
New Zealanders would like to do the same. It’s
understandable given that people would like to
be closer to the country of origin. But it’s clearly
a fantasy, especially because New Zealand is
firmly attached to the Asian shelf – in more
ways than one.
Contrary to the popular notion of a shrinking
planet, nations – or rather trading blocs – are ac-
tually drifting apart. Consider this – dealing with
traditional trading partners like the UK, Europe
and the United States is becoming a game of
dodging carbon footprints. From trading goods
we have moved on to trading charges. New
Zealand should count itself extremely lucky that
it is close to less protectionist Asia, where the
economies are growing so fast they are leaving
skid marks.
Indeed, Asia has turned out to be New Zea-
land’s economic saviour. While other markets
shrank, New Zealand’s exports to China, for
instance, grew 43 per cent and effectively this
increase saved the country from the global reces-
sion.
The Asian sweep of local markets is plainly
evident. Walk into any branch of The Warehouse,
Farmers, Pak ‘n Save, JB or Harvey Norman and
you find yourself in a sea of products manufac-
Government by Greed
Key Support for the 1987 Coup
Subhash Appana
A political coup-de-tat is no small undertaking
by any standards. It involves treason as by its
very definition it attempts to overthrow a “legiti-
mate” government by extra-legal means. In fact
force and violence are necessary complements of
any coup-de-tat. And in order to “build” the sce-
nario to justify a coup, an orchestrated process
is activated. The aim is to create a situation that
allows a treasonous, yet quietly-supported, coup-
maker to say “there was no other way”.
This is exactly what happened in Fiji, and that
is exactly what Rabuka said after he executed
the Father of All Coups on 14th May 1987. The
common thread that bound all who supported
that coup, whether overtly or covertly, was the
perceived need to protect the Fijian heritage and
save the Fijian race from the hegemonic designs
of a foreign race, the Indo-Fijians. There were
mainly 2 reasons for this perception: one, a sus-
tained policy of divide and rule based on ethnic-
ity; and two, a lack of understanding and appre-
ciation of the mechanics of democracy.
Within this framework of politics, the
obvious Indian “threat” acted as a diversion that
temporarily covered ominously developing un-
dercurrents that were to plague ethnic-Fijian pol-
itics and the country in later years. The Taukei
Marches of 1987 allowed many of these under-
currents to surface and join the general wave of
dissatisfaction, resentment and rage that swept
the main centres of the country. Even in these
marches, individual grievances and aspirations
remained quietly submerged as the convenient
rhetoric of “Indian threat” was enough to rally
key support.
Many have pointed fingers at the chiefs, and
especially Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and Ratu
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
tured in China, Korea and Taiwan, Hong Kong,
India, Vietnam and Thailand among others. And
don’t forget that most motorists wouldn’t go very
far without the Jap crap.
In a recent TVNZ interview, Prime Minister
John Key acknowledged that a “balance of power
is unquestionably taking place from, to a certain
degree the West, to the Asia region. Not just
China, I mean India’s a big player….so you’re
seeing countries like Korea, Malaysia and Indo-
nesia, all starting to branch out and be success-
ful”. Clearly, New Zealand has come a long way
from the xenophobic days of “the Asian peril”.
The importance New Zealand gives to its
Asian trading partners can be measured from
the fact that democracy – the sacred cow of
western civilisation – is being sacrificed at the
altar of realpolitik. This was amply demonstrated
recently when Key apologised to the head of a
Chinese delegation after Green Party co-leader
Russel Norman got into a scuffle with Chinese
Vice-President Xi Jingping’s security. Protest-
ing at China’s atrocious human rights record in
Tibet, Dr Norman was waving a Tibetan flag a
few metres away from Mr Xi at the entrance to
the New Zealand Parliament.
But these are mere roadblocks in New Zea-
land’s journey towards becoming an Asian
country. While Tibet is a worthy cause, New
Zealand has to live with the reality of China rather
the chimera of Tibetan independence. After all,
how many divisions has the Dalai Lama?
With the inconvenience of democracy and
human rights out of the way, Free Trade Agree-
ments are being scratched out with a slew of
countries, including South Korea and India.
Indeed, worldwide there seems to be a scramble
to jump into bed with the Asian countries. The
European Union, the US and Australia are also
negotiating FTAs with Korea.
Sir Penaia Ganilau who was Governor General
at that time. Many have rubbished Ratu Mara’s
explanation when he said, “How could I stand by
and watch my house on fire?” This statement has
generally escaped objective scrutiny as the ten-
dency had been to expect Mara to stop the 1987
coup or take an openly opposed stance after the
fact. He did neither because he was a thinking
man who could “see” things that couldn’t be
openly articulated at the time.
The point is that as a chief, Ratu Mara could
not stand back and watch his country and his
people get destroyed. It was the same for Ratu
Penaia who was not only Ratu Mara’s close po-
litical ally, but also Ratu Mara’s brother-in-law
through the marriage of his son, Ratu Epeli
Ganilau to Ratu Mara’s daughter, Adi Ateca
Ganilau. More interestingly, Ratu Penaia was
also Ratu Mara’s superior as Tui Cakau and head
of the Tovata confederacy, within which Ratu
Mara’s Lau province fell.
And as mentioned earlier, the second con-
federacy of Burebasaga fell in line because its
paramount chief, the Roko Tui Dreketi, was
Ratu Mara’s wife. This left Kubuna, which was
headed by Ratu Sir George Cakobau at the time.
Ratu George’s first cousin, Ratu Edward Cako-
bau’s 2nd son, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau is married
to Ratu Mara’s daughter Adi Koila Mara. This
completed the family link at the apex of the 3
confederacies. Moreover, Kubuna also had
among its inter-linked chiefs the Toganivalu
clan from Tailevu who were heavily represented
in the Mara cabinet through Ratu David, Ratu
Josua and Ratu William Toganivalu.
In addition to the above chiefly links, any
analysis on chiefly support for the 1987 coup
John Key knows New Zealand must get its
act together. Speaking to the media in Seoul last
month he said, “The reality for us is if they do
complete a deal and we don’t we’re in a relative-
ly worse position.” In fact, in the two years since
New Zealand signed the FTA with China it has
gone from the country’s fourth to second largest
trading partner.
Here are some key reasons why it is in New
Zealand’s best interests to tango with Asia.
Trade logistics: Flashback to 2008 – a
German shopper is reported to have objected to
the presence of New Zealand strawberries on a
supermarket shelf. According to her, the carbon
footprint created in the transportation of the
strawberries from the bottom of the world didn’t
justify their German consumption. The German
produce manager pulled the product. Whether
justified or not, New Zealand’s location will
handicap its products in the European and Amer-
ican markets. However, Asia is right next door
and green concerns won’t be echoed there for a
couple of decades at least. In Asia the mantra, is
grow, grow, grow.
Changing marketscape: Both the US and
Europe have been gobsmacked by the reces-
sion. Economic growth in the PIGS – Portugal,
Ireland, Greece, Spain – is not just unfeasible, it
is outside the realm of possibility for a genera-
tion. By the time the recession pans out, living
standards in wide swathes of Europe will come
down to the level of Thailand. On the other hand,
Asian economies are unscathed by the recession
and an increasingly affluent class middle class is
able to afford products like wine, artisan cheeses
and designer water – all of which New Zealand
can supply in ample quantity.
No business like the food business: Ever
noticed that few restaurants close during a re-
cession? Asian countries, with rapidly growing
cannot ignore the fact that the first rationale for
that coup involved removal of the Indian threat
from the political equation of Fiji. From this per-
spective the chiefs were duty-bound to support
that coup because it was seen as a necessity. Op-
position could not have been justified in any way
and once the rebellion gained momentum, there
was simply no room for diplomatic chiefly inter-
vention.
The second important point of support for
that coup had to come from the Fiji military.
In 1987, the RFMF was a largely foreign peace
keeping-focused entity. Since 1978 when troops
were deployed to UNIFIL in Lebanon, the size
and skills of the RFMF had expanded signifi-
cantly. And the bulk of troop recruitment in-
volved rural Fijian youths who had virtually no
real exposure to the “Indian threat” that they had
always heard of – they had no opportunity to see
Indians in any other way.
In fact when they did come to Suva, they were
faced with a barrage of things Indian – taxis,
businesses, shops, houses, and Indian people all
over the place. This left them with little doubt
that there was indeed an “Indian threat” to Fiji.
Little has been made of the fact that these young
soldiers literally saw themselves as modern-day
bati (traditional defenders) when they donned
the colours of the RFMF. And as bati they were
defenders of the Fijian heritage. Nobody epito-
mized this better than Sitiveni Rabuka, his deci-
sion to execute the 1987 coup had largely to do
with this – in fact this was very likely the sole
compelling reason at the outset. Military support
therefore, was virtually guaranteed once the de-
cision was made.
The final card had to do with foreign reac-
Comment
populations, have reached the saturation point in
food production. They are entirely concentrating
on high tech and IT while neglecting their ag-
riculture. New Zealand with its mainly agrarian
economy is perfectly poised to export to these
economies.
Declining Britain: Britain used to be New
Zealand’s fallback option, but today it has
become a pale shadow of its former colonial self.
Faced with industrial decline, plummeting living
standards and insignificant global influence, it is
increasingly turning towards continental Europe.
Once New Zealand’s leading trading partner,
Britain is no longer a major buyer of its goods or
a provider of high technology. A key sign of New
Zealand drifting away from its western moorings
is that 2010 is the first year that more students
in New Zealand started learning Mandarin than
Latin.
Future conflicts: Who thought the mighty
Soviet Union would dissolve itself voluntarily in
1991? It just shows how the world can change
suddenly. The current global power play could
see the US and China become implacable adver-
saries in the near future. In that scenario whose
side should New Zealand take? It’s a tricky ques-
tion. My guess is trade – rather than any sense of
western association – will decide which way the
country swings.
Conclusion: Despite the irresistible plunge
into Asia, most Kiwis will continue to hope for
an Anglo-American revival. Nothing wrong with
that but the only hitch is the sun has set on that
empire. New Zealanders must realise they are
lucky because they are an Asian nation.
- Rakesh Krishnan is a features writer at a
leading New Zealand media company.
tion to an unthinkable act of treason in the
Pacific. There was little arguing that this vari-
able had to be factored in because Fiji would not
have accepted a reduced international status at
that juncture – unlike the stance taken now by
Commodore Bainimarama. When David Lange
tested the ANZUS alliance by closing NZ ports
to US nuclear vessels in 1985, Fiji’s strategic im-
portance had reached a new high.
Thus US geopolitical concerns within the
framework of the ever-heating Cold War pro-
vided the foreign lifeline that the coup plotters
needed. And even though foreign complicity was
a little more subtle and complicated to pinpoint,
noted CIA operative Vernon Walters was in Fiji
and did meet Rabuka 2 weeks before the coup.
He was later providentially posted as US Ambas-
sador to the UN and played a pivotal role in mini-
mizing subsequent international condemnation
of the Rabuka Coups. And US involvement did
continue sporadically until the 1997 constitution
brought back normality to the country – was this
a case of belated conscience and regret?
The 1987 coup thus had key support from the
chiefs, military, sections of the Fijian community
and the US. It was supposed to provide a transi-
tory point to a new model of governance for Fiji.
Why then did Fiji have to wait 10 years before
the 1997 constitution was finally enacted? Stay
tuned.
- Subhash Appana is an academic and po-
litical commentator. The opinions contained in
this article are entirely his and not necessarily
shared by any organizations he may be associ-
ated with both in Fiji and abroad. Email subha-
sha@ais.ac.nz
15
Indian

Empower Multiculturalism
VOTE FOR
Candidate WARD / Subdivision
Ravi Musuku Albert – Eden - Roskill
Neelam Choudary Botany
Ram Prakash Botany
Ajit Singh Counties Manukau DHB
Assid Khaleel Corban Henderson
Rakesh Nauhria Mangawhau
Jugjeet Singh Giam Mangere-Otahuhu
Mohammad Tauqir Khan Mangere-Otahuhu
Balu Mistry Manurewa
Gurmeeta Singh Manurewa
Ilango Krishnamoorthy Manurewa
Sukhminder Singh Manurewa
Roshni Golian Maungakiekie
Obed Unasa Owairaka
Rajiv Sood Owairaka
Arunjeev Singh Papakura
Raj Thandi Papakura
Avtar Hans Papatoetoe
Daljit Singh Papatoetoe
Narinder Kumar Singla Papatoetoe
Sukhdev Singh Papatoetoe
Magan Ranchod Pukekohe
Ella Kumar Puketapapa
Hari Shankar Puketapapa
Lingappa Kalburgi Puketapapa
Ram Rai Puketapapa
Urza Balouch Upper Harbour
Ann Nisha Pala Whau
Appeal Sponsored by: Veer Khar (90 Gracechurch Dr. Auckland – 092715444 a/h)
16 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Balu Mistry Candidate
For Manurewa Community Board
Why I am standing for the Manurewa
Community Board? And what can I offer
to the community? And why you should
give me your votes?
•0 Local Resident I have been resident
in South Auckland for nearly 35 years.
I spent 23 years living in Mangere and
for past 12 years living in Manurewa/
Manukau. So I am local just like you and
not an outsider from Albany or other part
of the NZ, just standing for the sake of
status or position.
•0 Judgment I am a qualified profes-
sional Engineer. Engineers are respon-
sible for designing and making things
happen. On local board, the members
are responsible for large amounts of
expenditure for the community projects.
The money has to be spent wisely and
not to be wasted. As an Engineer, I have
the knowledge and skills to make right
decisions when it comes to spending
money on community projects.
•0 Maturity. I have been working for 35
years in New Zealand. Maturity is gained
by working in community projects and I
have selflessly served the Indian Com-
munity over past many years in various
roles with Manukau Indian Association
and New Zealand Central Association.
•0 Track Record Past president of Ma-
nukau Indian Association and currently
executive member. Have taught our
language to New Zealand born children
and helped maintain our culture and
heritage. Organised many programs
such as Diwali, Navratri etc for the
people of South Auckland.
•0 Community Services Always have
been active in community activities –
particularly liaison with Punjabi Asso-
ciation and other associations. Repre-
senting all Indians as one community
whether they are Gujaratis. Bengalis,
Marathis, are form INDIA, ENGLAND or
FIJI. We are all Indians and one com-
munity in New Zealand. All community
works has been voluntary and no pay-
ments for services.
•0 I see the following as important is-
sues.
•0 Education: English language for
people unable to speak English
•0 Roads and expenditure on Roads
maintenance. This needs to be regu-
lated as I think the money spent on
maintaining and upgrading the roads
are not directed where they should be.
•0 Police and Traffic control in local
area. Instead of revenue collecting
activities by police and council traffic
wardens, their time to be better spent on
crime prevention and road safety.
•0 Civic sense in maintaining high stan-
dards in public – good behavior
•0 Discourage prostitution activities as
happening now in Manurewa
•0 Ethics Our society needs to have
higher standards and ethical values.
The cause of many crimes and prob-
lems in our community are lack of
basic value education from parents and
schools. The children must be taught
basic values such as honesty, integrity,
discipline, diligence, respect for others,
respect for elders and parents etc.
•0 Pride in Super city Auckland – Auck-
land is a nice place to live in and inspire
pride in the people living in our city.
When we belie in ourselves, we can
achiee higher goals as a community.
Deepawali fest aims to raise
funds for quake victims
Hindu Council of New Zealand intends to
organise free Pranayama (Yogic techniques
to regulate one’s life-force, specifically one’s
breathing) and meditation sessions for Christ-
church residents who have been affected by
the earthquake earlier this month.
These classes will be coordinated through
Aotearoa Research Organisation for Generic
Yoga and Ayurveda (AROGYA), a division of
Hindu Council of New Zealand.
The trauma of the earthquake and the
psychological aftermath experienced by the
victims is likely to last for weeks or even
months after the incident, as psychologists and
doctors have pointed out. Pranayama practices
are widely used scientific yoga techniques that
create mindfulness of the way one breathes,
followed by meditation to calm the mind.
“The classes will be conducted by experi-
enced volunteers and expert Pranayama teach-
ers who will be able to work with the com-
munity to manage stress and anxiety” said Dr
Rajiv Chaturvedi, Media & Public Relations
officer of Hindu Council of New Zealand.
“These techniques will help those who
have endured the recent traumatic events
and will assist the victims in their recovery
process”.
Organisers of Rotorua Deepawali Festival
2010 are keen to support this initiative and
will be raising funds for these classes on Sat-
urday, 2 October 2010.
The 2nd of October is also the birthday
of Mahatma Gandhi who devoted his life for
helping others. The council invites anyone in-
terested in helping or volunteering in any way
to support this initiative for the Christchurch
community. They may contact the Hindu
Council of New Zealand (hindu.nz@gmail.
com).
The Rotorua Deepawali festival is a free
Kiwi Asian
Journalism Scholarship
The Asia New Zealand Foundation is offering
an annual scholarship as a way of attracting
more Asian New Zealanders into journalism.
The 2010 scholarship will apply to the 2011
calendar year and be for the value of $5000 to
be paid on completion of the successful candi-
date’s course of journalism study.
It is only the second time this scholarship
has been offered. The inaugural scholarship
winner is Corazon Miller who is currently
Community
community event, the festival organisers
are planning to place an appeal and dona-
tion boxes at the festival venue to encourage
people to contribute towards this cause.
People from various cultures, nationalities,
ethnic groups, faiths, and belonging to various
organisations will attend the Deepawali festi-
val. The evening cultural show is now fully
reserved.
The festival which started with a humble
beginning in 2008 has grown and is now
getting attention from not only the people
of Rotorua but also from other parts of New
Zealand
“We look forward to welcoming people
from Auckland, Hamilton, Taupo, Tauranga,
Whakatane, Taumarunui, Palmerston North
and Wellington who are participating in this
festival” said Dr Meeta Patel, Secretary of the
Rotorua Deepawali Festival and Central Sec-
retary of Hindu Council of New Zealand.
The focus of this year’s festival is youth
leadership. To encourage youth participation
and being mindful of their exam schedules,
the festival has been advanced from Novem-
ber to the first week of October. The festi-
val committee has identified potential youth
leaders and has involved them by giving them
key responsibilities in the committee.
Deepawali (Hindu Festival of Lights) is
celebrated all over the world. The Rotorua
Deepawali Festival is proudly sponsored by a
number of charitable organisations, supported
by government agencies, businesses and com-
munity organisations, and promoted by both
print and electronic media.
The community is invited to enjoy this
unique festival in a smoke-free, alcohol-free
and meat-free environment on Saturday,
2 October 2010, starting at 10.00 am, at the
Energy Events Centre, Rotorua.

Search on for New Zealand’s

studying journalism at AUT University.
The scholarship is designed to encourage
greater representation of Asian communities in
mainstream New Zealand journalism.

Community of the Year

Nominations are being sought from around
the country for the Mitre 10 Community of
the Year 2011 as part of the New Zealander
of the Year Awards.
Nominees should be groups or organi-
sations who are working together to build
better communities. These groups will share
a strong sense of community spirit and their
work and accomplishments will play a vital
role in enhancing the social, economic, cul-
tural and environmental prosperity of their
region.
Nominations could be made for a specific
community project or the long term work of
a group or organisation. It can even be the
acknowledgement of an entire town or city
New Zealander of the Year Awards
Manager Grant McCabe says “It is important
to recognise and encourage the many groups
and organisations whose efforts help to make
our communities stronger, more vibrant and
better places to live”.
The Community of the Year Award ac-
knowledge groups and organisations working
together to build better communities while
engaging the community to nominate and ac-
knowledge these groups who are striving to
make a difference.
The winner of the Mitre 10 Community
of the Year 2011 will be awarded their trophy
and $5,000 prize money at a gala awards
presentation dinner in Auckland on the 2nd
February 2011. All nominees will receive a
certificate of achievement or encouragement
in recognition of their contributions.
Nominations close on Friday 22nd
October and nomination forms are available
from Countdown Supermarkets, Kiwibank
and Mitre 10 branches or by free phone 0508
692 927. You can also nominate online at
www.nzawards.org.nz or text ‘nominate’ to
244 for more information.
By way of background, a 2007 survey of
New Zealand journalists undertaken by the
New Zealand Journalism Training Organisa-
tion (NZJTO) showed that only about 2 percent
of all journalists working in the mainstream
English language news media were Asian. This
is despite Asian New Zealanders making up
about ten percent of the population.
To be eligible to apply for the scholarship,
candidates will need to be:
• New Zealand permanent residents or pass-
port holders
• Asian or part Asian in ethnicity
• Considering a career in news journalism
• Under the age of 25 years
• Be accepted into a course of journalism
study at an NZJTO affiliated journalism school
• Ability to speak an Asian language is an
advantage
The deadline for applications is November
30, 2010.
For more information, contact Asia New
Zealand Foundation media adviser Charles
Mabbett on cmabbett@asianz.org.nz or 04 470
8701.

Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 17

Indian

18 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Foundation plans medical assistance in Fiji
Indian Weekender news desk
The Friends of Fiji Health Foundation, a New
Zealand based charitable organisation, was for-
mally inaugurated on September 14 after its reg-
istration under the Charitable Trust Act in July
this year.
Mike Jaduram, past District Governor of
Rotary and a prominent member of the Fijian
community in New Zealand inaugurated the
foundation at an event in Auckland.
A wide range of people from prominent
medical practioners, businessmen, media,
medical suppliers and civic leaders attended the
function.
Former Fiji residents now living in New
Trustees
Dr Sunil Pillay -Chairman/
Trustee
Dr Sunil Pillay is from
Narewa village in Nadi. He
is a proud graduate of Fiji
School of Medicine. Sunil
did his postgraduate training
at the National Womens Hospital and has
specialist qualifications from both England
and Australia & New Zealand College of Ob-
stetrician and Gynaecologist. He has served
as the clinical director of Gynaecology at the
National Women’s Hospital between 1998 and
2002. He is currently practising as a leading
gynaecological endoscopic surgeon at Auck-
land City Hospital. His private practice is at
the Fertility Associates, Remuera. His special
interest includes fertility medicine and ad-
vance key-hole surgery. Dr Pillay performed
the first Laparoscopic Assisted Menstrual
(LAM) procedure in 2008 and has been recog-
nised internationally for his contribution. He
loves mountain biking and running.
Daven Naidu - Secretary/
Trustee
Managing Director Logical
Systems Ltd.
Member: New Zealand In-
stitute of Director.(NZIOD)
Daven Naidu left Fiji in
1982 to pursue his education in NZ, com-
pleting his final year secondary school at
the Lynfield College, Auckland. Daven has
NZCE (Electronics & Computer Technology)
qualification from the Auckland University
of Technology and Post Graduate Diploma
in Computer Science from the University of
Auckland. He joined Apple Computer as an
Engineer and Technical Specialist holding
various managerial positions within Apple/
Renaissance & CDL Systems Ltd- one of
New Zealand’s most successful Corporate
Computer Resellers & Technical solutions
providers in New Zealand. In 1994 he started
his own business “Logical Systems Ltd”
expanding to two branches with acquisition
to become business partners with some of the
largest brands in the World, Apple Computer,
HP, Microsoft, Lenovo, IBM, Cisco, Acer &
Adobe Systems. In 2004, he set-up a branch
operation of LSL Ltd in Fiji as sole distributor
of Apple Computer and a first Apple Centre
store in the Pacific Island. Daven is keen
golfer and played up to national level repre-
sentative hockey for Fiji & NZ.
Rajesh Chaudhary- Trea-
surer/ Trustee
Rajesh is a graduate of the
University of the South
Pacific - Fiji and Massey
University - New Zealand.
He migrated to New Zealand
in 1987 from Fiji. Rajesh has been work-
ing in the fields of Audit, IT and Finance in
Fiji, New Zealand and Australia for the past
thirty five years. He has also served on the
Boards of several multinational companies
in Australia and New Zealand. Rajesh is also
a qualified Personal Financial Adviser.His
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Zealand who had the desire to contribute in a
meaningful manner to the country of their birth
set up the foundation. Six eminent medical spe-
cialists plus seven others with professional and
business backgrounds make up the trustees of the
foundation.
With association and guidance from the Min-
istry of Health in Fiji, the foundation will provide
some of the necessary medical services in the
public health system to the poor and the needy
citizens of Fiji free of cost.
There are a large number of patients in Fiji
suffering from a wide range of diseases requiring
specialist and or surgical intervention. They are
presently unable to receive these treatments in
Fiji due to lack of resources. They are also unable
current professional affiliations are: Chartered
Accountant – Institute of Chartered Accoun-
tants of New Zealand Chartered Secretary
– Chartered Institute of Secretaries and
Administrators – London.
Dr Rajen Prasad-Trustee
Member of Parliament.
Dr Rajen Prasad is a former
Associate Professor in So-
cial Policy and Social Work
from Massey University. He
was New Zealand’s Race
Relations Conciliator from 1996 to 2001 and
served in 2003/4 as a Member of the Resi-
dence Review Board. He was the founding
Chief Commissioner of the Families Com-
mission from 2004 to 2008 before becoming a
Member of Parliament for the Labour Party at
the last election in November 2008.
Dr Prasad is the party spokesperson for
Community and Voluntary Sector, Associate
Spokesperson for Social Development and
Employment with responsibility for Child
Youth and Family and for family policy. He
is also an Associate Spokesperson for Ethnic
Affairs.
Bob Naidu-Trustee
Bob Naidu after completing
his studies at Auckland Uni-
versity returned to Fiji and
worked for 4 years before
returning with his family to
Auckland in 1975.
He joined NZ Steel at Glenbrook and was
later transferred to the Head Office of BHP
Steel in Melbourne and then to Kuala Lumpur
and then back to Woolongong in NSW.
In his 33 years career with NZ Steel/BHP
Steel and Bluescope steel, he held a number
of senior Technical and Management posi-
tions until he retired in early 2009 and shifted
back to Auckland.He is currently semi retired
and does some consultancy work in the field
of Process Engineering
Mukesh Parshottam
-Auditor
BCA (Vic) CA
Mukesh graduated from Vic-
toria University in 1978 with
a Bachelor of Commerce
and Administration Degree.
He is a member of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of New Zealand. His working
career over the last 30 years has covered both
the commercial and professional accountancy
sectors. He has worked in large manufacturing
companies in senior finance roles with signifi-
cant experience in acquisition and mergers.
Mukesh has worked in two of the “Big 4”
accounting firms, where he held senior audit
roles within these firms.
As a Director of Oswin Griffiths – DFK
Ltd and Partner of Oswin Griffiths - DFK,
Mukesh oversees a diversity of services of-
fered to clients including commercial property
management, financial planning, management
accounting for businesses and individuals, tax
planning and auditing. Mukesh’s extensive
experience enables him to provide both expe-
to travel abroad for treatment due to financial
constraints. This is where the organisation feels
it can be of help.
With the leadership of Dr Sunil Pillay (Chair-
man) and its trustees, the foundation has already
secured a team of motivated volunteers compris-
ing specialist doctors, nurses, anaesthetists and
some of the equipment and supplies that are nec-
essary for the commencement of this project.
A team has already visited Fiji and in conjunc-
tion with the medical authorities in the Western
division of Fiji have identified the areas of high
need.
Consequently, a team will be visiting Fiji in
late November for a period of two weeks to carry
out the some of the medical treatments that was
ditious and cost effective service.
Radhe K Nand LLB
-Trustee/Legal Advisor.
Radhe Nand migrated from
Fiji in 1982. He read law at
the University of Auck-
land and on achieving his
Bachelor of Laws degree in
1986 was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor
of the High Court of New Zealand. Over
the past 24 years, Radhe has forayed into
various branches of law, including corpo-
rate structures, residential and commercial
properties, family trusts, family law, com-
mercial/corporate, immigration and litigation,
amassing in the process a client base that
encompasses ordinary individuals to corporate
and high profile clients. Radhe has worked in
well-established law firms (including being a
partner) has been a member of the Property/
Business Law and Immigration/Refugee Law
sub-committees of the Auckland District Law
Society; is a member of the Mental Health
Review Tribunal; and besides currently run-
ning a successful practice as partner of Patel
Nand Legal is also Honorary Legal Counsel
to several religious, sporting, cultural and
educational organisations in NZ and abroad.
Dr Dhana Gounder
-Trustee
Transfusion Medicine Spe-
cialist New Zealand Blood
Service.
Dhana Gounder was the
Consultant Pathologist at
Lautoka Hospital, Fiji from 1989 to 2003. He
migrated to New Zealand in 2004 to take up
his present position with the New Zealand
Blood Service. His lead clinical roles are in
the area of stem cell harvesting and process-
ing, patient plasma apheresis and blood
banking and holds membership of several
international transfusion medicine societies.
Dr Rishi Ram -Trustee
FRACS General Surgeon
Dr Rishi Ram is former res-
ident of Nadi, Fiji, migrated
to New Zealand in 1987. He
has completed his surgical
training in New Zealand and
Australia. Dr Rishi Ram is a general surgeon
and works in Public & Private Hospitals . He
works as a general surgeon at public Auckland
City Hospital and in Private at the Auckland
Surgical Centre based in Remuera, Mercy
Ascot and Southern Cross Hospital.
Dr Ajay Kumar -Trustee
Dr A Kumar, Former resi-
dent of Suva Fiji, Migrated
to NZ 1994, Graduate of
University of South Pacific/
Fiji School of Medicine.
Post Graduate education
and dual training completed 2002, Specialist
Physician/Geriatrician. For the past 7 yrs with
Counties Manukau District Health Board as
clinical Stroke Physician, Geriatrician. Dr
Kumar is Senior Clinical Lecturer in clinical
Community
identified in the preliminary visit. This will be
the first of many similar missions that will be
taken over the years.
The team will comprise of 4 gynaecologists,
4 general physicians, 2 anaesthetists, technician
and specialist nurses. An estimated 30 volunteers
are expected to travel over a period of two weeks.
Some of the special surgical beds, criti-
cal medicine and other specialist equipment
have been shipped to Fiji and others will follow
to ensure that the highest level of success is
achieved.
The foundation is 100 % charitable with no
administration costs. All service provided to
assist in Fiji is 100% voluntary. The trustees
themselves funded the September launch.
Medicine with Auckland University Medi-
cal School. Research interest includes Acute
Stroke Therapies, Primary, Secondary and
tertiary therapies/prevention especially TIA,
investigation /prevention and treatment of
early Cognitive impairment
and Dememtia, Has been involved in Interna-
tional Multicenter Acute Stroke Therapies and
PI at local site.
Dr Vinod Singh -Trustee.
Trustee Friends of Fiji Health (NZ) Inc.
Chairman Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation
Dr Vinod Singh is originally from Nadi and
has been living in New Zealand since 1986.
He has a very soft spot for people of Fiji
hence been back to work in Fiji Hospitals
twice during these last 25 years. He is also the
Chairman of Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation
which has been sending open heart surgery
team to Fiji for last 5 years. Dr Singh is a full
time Consultant physician in acute stroke and
acute internal medicine in North Shore Hos-
pital. He has very keen interest in teaching
and has been working as a Honorary Clinical
Senior Lecturer in Medicine ,University of
Auckland for last 10 years. He holds other
social and academic positions .For the last 3
years he has been the Chairman of New Zea-
land VTE prevention Forum, whose member-
ship spans across all major hospitals in New
Zealand, and has very close ties with medical
professionals in England, the pioneers in this
field of Medicine.
Mr Deepak Tahal
 - Chief Executive Officer
Trustee Friends of Fiji Health (NZ) Inc.
Trustee Friend of Fiji Heart Foundation.
Deepak is a director of Tahal Group of Com-
panies with Business Experience of over 20
years in 
Poultry, Hotel, wholesale and retail
business through out Fiji, New Zealand and
Australia. Deepak is the founding member of
Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation and is the
key person behind establishing the Friends of
Fiji Health. With Charity in his soul Deepak is
leading the organization as the current CEO.
Deepak has a keen interest in golfer.
Dr Rajendra Kumar -Trustee
Dr Kumar is from Lautoka and a graduate of
Fiji School on Medicine. He completed his
postgraduate training at National Women’s
Hospital and is Fellow of Australian & NZ
College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist.
He is a senior Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
at Waitemata Health. He is keen golfer win-
ning many tournaments within the medical
golfing community.
Dr Ravindra Raj -Trustee
Dr Raj is from Nasinu and a graduate of
Fiji School on Medicine. He completed his
postgraduate training at National Women’s
Hospital and is Fellow of Royal Australian&
NZ College of Obstetrician and Gynaecolo-
gist. He is a senior specialist at MiddleMore
Hospital. A keen runner and does several
marathons annually.
19
Indian
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated with fervour
Ram Iyer
Ganesha Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka
Chaturthi in the southern parts of India, was
celebrated with great devotion and ceremony
both in homes, temples and community centres
around Auckland and New Zealand.
Celebrations at the Auckland Sri Ganesh
Temple, Papakura – the only Ganesh temple
in New Zealand was a described as a “huge
success” by devotees.
The recent com-
pletion of the new hall
to accommodate the
thousands of devotees
who witnessed and
enjoyed the poojas
conducted by the cel-
ebrated chief priest
Sivsri Chandru Ku-
rukkal and assisted
by the second Priest
Vasudeva Kurukkal
proved timely for the
convenience of the
surging number of
devotees.
More than 2500 devotees are reported to
have witnessed and attended celebrations and
ceremonies at the temple from all over New
Zealand.
The first pooja commenced with the early
morning pooja at 5.00am and carried out
through the day with the finale at 7.30pm with
108 kalasa abishekam. Maha Prasad was served
throughout the day. The grand pooja took place
in the evening with the main and final arthi
which commenced at 7.30pm.
Lord Ganesh was beautifully decorated with
sandalwood paste.
Other major celebrations around Auckland
were at the Halsey Drive School in Lynfield
where the Marathi Mandal had its well-attended
Children celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi
More than 50 children under the age of 16 years
guided by parents performed Ganesh pooja last
weekend at two venues in Auckland.
The pooja was held from 11.00 am to 1.00
pm on Saturday, 18 September 2010 at two lo-
cations: Mt Roskill Intermediate School Hall,
Mt Roskill; and Pakuranga Intermediate School
Hall, Pakuranga. Shri Prakash Joshi and Shri
Prabhakar presided over the ceremonies at Pak-
uranga and Mt Roskill respectively.
This is the first time such programme has
been organised in Auckland. The public celebra-
tion of this festival in Auckland had a humble
beginning. It is hoped that the celebration of the
festival will become bigger and better each year.
The kids got an opportunity to learn about
the significance of this pooja, as they were ex-
plained the meaning of every step in the pooja.
Seven year old Atul Kodla said, “I went to
the Ganesh pooja which was taught by a priest.
I liked the cute Ganesh idol. With the guidance
20
Community
What is Ganesh Charthurti?
Ganesh Chaturthi is the day when Lord Ganesh
was born, he is also known as the god of wisdom
event and the NZ Amchis celebrations at Mount and prosperity and remover of obstacles. Ganesh
Eden. As well as the puja and a delicious repast, is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati and his birth
those present had the opportunity to listed to is believed in Hindu mythology, he was created
beautifully sung bhajans by Pandit Balachandra through sandalwood paste and Parvati breathed life
Bhat accompanied on the harmonium by Sameer into him.
Bhalodkar and the table by young Vishaal. Parvati then went to have her bath and asked his
The celebrations at the Thiru temple in son, Ganesh to stand guard and her instructions to
Ellerslie were also well attended, according to Ganesha was not to let anyone in whilst she was
reports received by Indian Weekender. bathing. It so happened that Lord Shiva returned
home and to find this little Ganesh standing guard
and obstructing him from entering his home.
Lord Shiva was very irritated by this obstruc-
tion and being stopped by a small child at this own
doorstep, irritated and and the very annoyed Shiva
in spite of his warnings and requests to give way,
had to severe him and enter the house.
On seeing and realising what had happened the
very upset mother, Parvati pleaded that the son be
revived by Shiva. Shiva requested that a head be
brought to replace the severed one and the only life
being that of a elephant which was handed over to
the Lord who revived the boy with the elephant’s
head.
It is this day when the Lord Ganesh was born
that the day is celebrated as Ganesh Charturthi. This
festival is celebrated in a huge way in Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and
is believed to be one of the fastest growing festi-
vals around the world. In New Zealand this festival
is celebrated in a grand style at the Auckland Sri
Ganesh Temple in Papakura.
of the priest I gave Ganesh a shower by dipping
a petal into some water and sprinkling water all
over the idol of Ganesh.
“Then I put some kum kum and decorated
with flowers. Then we offered food for Ganesh.
After that, we showed diya and prayed for good
life, excellent education and beautiful health. I
was amazed because Ganesh has 108 names and
we chanted 16 names. At last I got what I wanted
– delicious, soft prasadam.”
The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) or-
ganised the event. “Lord Ganesh is worshipped
before the beginning of any auspicious work or
occasion by Hindus. Rightly, we also started our
first public programme with Ganesh Chaturthi”,
said Shrikant Bhave, General Secretary of HSS.
“As our focus is on developing leadership,
inculcating good moral values and an under-
standing of our culture in children, we organ-
ised this festival mainly for kids,” Mr Bhave
added.
Over 150 members of the community joined in Muthamil Tamil Sangam’s India Day celebrations last month.
“Both children and adults enjoyed the great food and the presentations in a relaxed and easy atmosphere,” said
Mr S. Subbiah, in a report from the Sangam.
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Community

Senior citizens enjoy Northland trip

Dhiru Patel
For some of the 47 holidaymakers on the bus, this
first weekend away with the Auckland Indian As-
sociation Senior Citizens Group was also their first
trip to the sunny north.
The trip started at 8.35am on the dot after a
blessing from Panditji Shree Abhijitbhai of the
Radha Krishna Temple at the Mahatma Gandhi
Centre.
The weather was just right (after a night of bat-
tering wind and rain).
Jokes were recited, al-
ternating with bhajans A picturesque drive through
and genial banter as the
bus reached NZ’s only rolling farmland, past citrus,
oil refinery at Ruakaka.
The Marsden Point pipfruit, avocado and kiwi or-
Refinery has a 130 sq
metre model on display chards, then along a tranquil
and the group was given
an overview of the seaside the party stopped for
complexity of the refin-
ing processes as well lunch at Mangonui.
as background on oil
formation and drilling.
The chemistry was beyond most peoples’ under-
standing but everyone realised the work involved
in producing petrol.
Onwards past the famously ornate Kawakawa
toilets then lunch at Whangarei Falls, possibly the
most photographed site in Whangarei. Most people
were keen to walk the circuit and view the beau-
tiful veil of water from the gully. A shared lunch,
then the group voted to explore Russell by way of
a return ferry trip, before settling into the comfort-
able motel in Paihia. Landing at Russell, many
searched out local sites while a few ventured out
and climbed Flagstaff Hill where Hone Heke had
once chopped down the flagpole four times in op-
position to British Rule. The view over Russell and
the bay were well worth the climb.
Sunday was a warm sunny day, everyone eager
to get going and so the group set off for Kaitaia
via Waitangi, Kerikeri and Ninety Mile Beach. A
picturesque drive through rolling farmland, past
citrus, pipfruit, avocado and kiwi orchards, then
along a tranquil seaside the party stopped for lunch
at Mangonui. Curries, cake, chai and hot chips
never tasted so good. An early arrival at the motel
enabled a get together with all hands on deck to
cook and enjoy a homemade meal.
Monday morning
saw once again, an
earlier departure than
scheduled. Snaking
its way south through
the hilly ranges and
state forests, the group
stopped for a rest at
Omapere just south
of Opononi (made
famous by Opo the
dolphin). The jetty
and boat ramp offered
beautiful panoramic
views of the stunning
harbour and sand dunes.
Onto Waipou forest to view Tane Mahuta, the
great Kauri standing 51.5m tall, having a girth of
13.77m and believed to be up to 2500 years old.
The party continued south through Dargaville, the
kumara growing country around Ruawai, along
the Kaipara coast and back to a somewhat dismal
Auckland evening.
The group was lucky to have had a very jovial
and learned bus driver who not only helped with
baggage and sightseeing but also educated the
members by imparting her in-depth knowledge of
the Maori wars and European settlement in North-
land.
Even the dismal Auckland weather could not
dampen the group’s spirits. A most memorable trip. (Saturday 4th to Monday 6th September)

Aik Sham Mehdi Hasan kay naam Business Profile

PRASHANT BELWALKAR
Eastern Arts & Cultural Society hosted the
sons of legendary Ghazal singer Mehdi Hasan
in a concert at the Dorothy Winston Theatre on
September 18. Kamran Mehdi Hasan (vocals)
and Imran Mehdi Hasan (Tabla), the sons of the
maestro, were visiting New Zealand for the first
time and a sizeable audience had gathered for their
performance.
The evening started with an ayaan by Mirzaji,
who followed it up with a ghazal “Meri duniya
kharab kar dali”. Shobha Pathak regaled the audi-
ences with her favourite numbers “Aaj Jane ki jid na
karo” and “Ghungroo toot gaye”. Basant Madhur
(Tabla), Surabhi Sharma (Violin) and Dharmesh
Parikh on keyboards accompanied the artistes.
Ahsanji of Eastern Arts then introduced the duo
of Kamran and Imran to the audience. They rep-
resent the 17th generation of musical family, who
have been “kalawant” for generations. Under the
guidance of their father as well as Ustad Abdul
Samar, Imran has honed his skills. He has been ac-
companying Mehdiji for several years. Kamran too
can play more than 10 instruments, arrange music
as well as sing.
Kamran started the evening with the famous
ghazal “Ranjish hi sahi” and brought the house
down with the opening salvo. The tabla of Imran
was exceptional. The ease with which he transi-
tioned between pace and tempo of each verse was
commendable. Shukdev Madhurji’s accompani-
ment on the violin was excellent. The interludes
that he played between the verses had a feeling of
melancholy which only a seasoned artiste can bring
out. Dharmesh had the tough task of filling in for
several musicians on the keyboard, which of course
he did it with ease. Ravi, on the dholak managed to
fill in the void as well.
The evening though belonged to Kamran and
Imran as they raced through some of the audience
favourites “Jindagi mein sabhi”, “ham teri mehfil
mein”, “Duniya kise ke pyar mein”. These ghazals
are the most popular ones of Mehdiji and it would
have been extremely difficult to please the audi-
ence if they were not upto the mark. But Kamran
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
managed that with ease, with the able assistance of
Imran.
Kamran also has the gift of connecting with the
audience, his interactions, and translations of dif-
ficult verses, made the atmosphere very homely and
the got audiences in a mood to savour the flavours
of songs by Mehdiji. Kamran then deftly moved to
the film songs for which Mehdiji is also famous.
Several of his hit songs have been used in Hindi
movies as well. “Mohabbat mar nahin sakti” was
used in Ashiqui (tu meri zindigai hain). Similarly
“bahut khoobsurat hai mera sanam” was used in
Sagar (bahut pyar karte hai tumko sanam), “Samne
aake tujhko pukara nahi became ‘pardesi, pardesi
jana nahin’ as well as ‘tum paas aye’.
Then he sang the famous “pyar ke do sharmile
nain” which still is very popular with the audienc-
es. The first half came to an end with the powerful
“Mitwaa, mere man yeh bata”. It was well past 9 pm
and two hours of singing hadn’t tired the duo a bit.
Post interval session started with a Tabla solo by
Imran where he showed his range with Tabla styles
from the Punjab, Baluchistan, Sind province.
Kamran then had the audiences humming to
the tune of the legendary ghazal “guloon mein rang
bhare”, an audience favourite. Several other farmai-
shi (requests) followed which included “kaise kaise
log”, “ek naye mode pe”, “ek kagaj phool jaisa”,
tere mere pyar ka nata”, “baat karni mujhe kabhi
mushil aise to nathi” and finally Ahmed Faraz’s “ab
ke ham bichade”.
He then moved to traditional ghazals like “Rafta
Rafta” and “Mujhe tum nazar se gira to na doge”. It
was noteworthy that Kamran has written one of the
sher (verse) of the ghazal himself, which his father
sings at all live concerts. It is a very emotive sher
and the audience just love it.
He had promised to sing Punjabi songs as well
as pay a tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saheb at
the end of the concert. The audience joined in the
chorus of the Punjabi number “ dhai din na javani
ke.. kurti malmal di”. The dhamar is a special
singing style and has its own metre, which is very
fast paced. The final number, a tribute to Nusratji,
was “dum mast kalandar, mast mast”.
Shahnaz Husain Signature Salon in Auckland
Shahnaz Husain, pioneer and leader of Ay-
urvedic Beauty Care has received unprecedent-
ed International acclaim and recognition for
promoting the ancient science of Ayurveda and
making it relevant to modern demands.
She heads the largest organisation of it’s
kind in the world with a product
range of over 350 formulations
for skin, hair, body and health
care with a global distribu-
tion and franchise network in
more than 100 countries where
Shahnaz Husain has become an
International Brand.
The recently held Summit
on Entrepreneurship was par-
ticularly significant in terms
of women’s empowerment.
Shahnaz Husain who was
invited to represent India at the
prestigious Presidential Summit
in Washington DC, spoke about
unleashing woman power and
received a standing ovation.
Known for her unique busi-
ness acumen and marketing
strategies, Shahnaz Husain was
invited to lecture in Havard
Business School, Boston, USA
on “How to create a World Class
Brand without advertising”. Harvard Business
School has made Shahnaz Husain’s success
story as a case study. According to Professor
Hayes of Harvard Business School, “She vio-
lates every norm we teach”.
Shahnaz Husain has opened sales at the
Lloyds Pharmacy in London’s most prestigious
department store – “Selfridges” at Oxford
Street in August this year. Shahnaz Husain’s
herbal cosmetics have also sold in stores like
Galleries Lafayette in Paris, Bloomingdales
in New York, La Rina Scente in Milan and
Seibu chain in Japan in the past. She recently
launched the revolutionary anti-aging and path
breaking skin rejuvenating programme “Plant
Stem Cell” range in London.
Shahnaz Husain has contributed signifi-
cantly towards her social responsibility by
empowering women and educating physi-
cally challenged girls through her own initia-
tive “Shamute” and “Shasight” which provide
free beauty training to speech
& hearing impaired and blind
girls.
Shahnaz Husain in New
Zealand and Fiji
Recently Shahnaz Husain
has officially opened their first
Franchise (Signature Salon) in
Auckland jointly with Ehsaas
Beauty Care owned by Bindu
Grover.
Bindu Grover (pictured)
is a NZ Qualified, CIBTAC
(Confederation of International
Beauty Therapy and Cosme-
tology) Certified and Shahnaz
Husain Qualified Beauty
Expert.
She represents the organisa-
tion for New Zealand and Fiji.
She has also acquired the sub
franchise and distribution rights
for Shahnaz Husain’s Products
in New Zealand and Fiji.
This Shahnaz Husain’s Signature Salon is
located at 40 Lincoln Road, Henderson, Auck-
land.
Bindu may be contacted either through the
website, which is www.herbalbeautyproducts.
co.nz (click on “Ask an expert” on the top left
corner) or on 09 9082440 / 0212568484.
Products are available on the website or
through our approved stockists.
If you are a Beauty Therapist, and run
your own clinic (even from home), or a retailer
and would like to be an approved stockist of
Shahnaz Husain or any other trade/franchise,
contact Vinay on 09 9082440 or 0275568484. 21
Indian

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22 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
 Indian
‘Not fond of Hindi commercial cinema’
Naseeruddin Shah is known
as an actor who never
repeats himself. Sreya
Basu catches up with the
National Award winner
during shooting of Michael
in Kolkata.
What is Michael all about?
The film, directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, is a
thriller centering a Kolkata-based Catholic fam-
ily. I play Michael, an ex-cop, who tries to get a
secured future for his son.
You started with art cinema, moved to
commercial films, did television, an-
chored cricket shows and also have
done theatre. What makes you try differ-
ent things all the time?
I guess that’s what makes life worthwhile. I
want to try everything that I feel I should…
grab every dream I have. My earliest dream was
to be an actor. I also wanted to be a cricketer;
dreamt of being a filmmaker, and always wanted
to be on the stage. So I feel pretty much blessed
to get the opportunity to try my hand at all these
things.
Salman inspires Arjan Bajwa
Mumbai: Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan has
been inspiration for not only commoners, but also
fellow-actors.
Whether bringing health awareness among the
youths or doing charity, Salman has made his place
as an idol in India and abroad.
His star power is unavoidable; which is one of
the reasons for his success at this age (45 years) too.
However not just common man, Sallu also in-
spires many in Bollywood.
The latest example is, ‘Fashion’ Fame lad Arjan
Bajwa, who was bowled over by Salman Khan’s
kind gesture of blood donation recently, where the
‘Dabangg’ star pulled Aamir Khan as well to serve
humanity.
On his birthday on Sept 3, Arjan started off his
day by donating blood at a hospital in Mumbai, fol-
lowing the footsteps of Salman.
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Is there anything that you wanted to do,
but haven’t done so far?
Ya. I really, really want to make a film.
What kind of film?
The kind of film I would like to see. I am really
not fond of Hindi commercial cinema, I never
was. These films never caught my fancy. I was
fond of Ealing Studios’ comedies when I was a
child. I loved westerns always, also war movies.
I didn’t see any Hindi movies when in school.
Though Arjan was scheduled to shoot for
Hema Malini’s directorial venture– “Tell Me Oh
Khuda”, but he had sought permission from Hema
ji to reach on the sets a couple of hours late as he
wanted to make his birthday special this year.
“I attend my friend’s birthday parties which are
very common but doing something for others is
what I had always thought of and what better than
donating blood? And when I saw Salman Bhai
doing it for humanity, it gave me a boost and moti-
vated me to start my birthday in a useful fashion.
Also my mother is in town so her presence will
double up the joy of birthday for me”, says a mo-
tivated Arjan.
“Also I had met Salman Bhai recently at IIFA
this year and I am a big fan of him like many others
in our film fraternity. He is a true icon,” adds Arjan.
My father was rather strict in selecting which
movies we see and he will always accompany
us to theatres. But then, there are actors from the
Hindi film industry like Motilal, Balraj Sahni
and Yakub, whom I find versatile. And I love
Shammi Kapoor…I can never do things like he
did.
So, which actors/directors really inspired
you?
People like Anthony Quinn, Paul Muni, Spencer
Tracy and Charles Gordon had formative influ-
‘Always’ wins best short Dabangg creates
film award at Anime bang at BO
New Delhi: Students from Maya Academy of
Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), India’s leading
educator in high-end 3D Animation and Visual
Effects won the best film award at Anime Cine
Experience, 2010, a 3-day film festival orga-
nized by Cine Darbaar, in collaboration with
the Embassy of Japan, Directorate of Film Fes-
tivals, Japan Foundation.
The festival was recently held at Siri Fort
auditorium II, Delhi and was for the first time
that a festival celebrated the Japanese-Anime,
Manga (Comics) and Pop-culture in India.
The jury at the festival awarded ‘Always’ a
short film made by the students of MAAC as the
best short film in the Short Anime Corner. The
film also bagged the 2st runner up position in
24FPS animation awards organized by MAAC.
Ram Warrier, Business Head, MAAC said,
“Winning an award has always been an honour
and it’s our constant endeavor at MAAC to
produce work which would give MAAC, its
students a global recognition.”
The festival brought the great anime works
created in Japan like The Girl who leapt
through time, Grave of the fireflies, 5cm per
second, Voices of Distant Star, The Place Prom-
ised in Our Early Days. In its inaugural edition
the festival showcased Japanese comics, anime
serial, short film competitions, pop-culture ex-
hibitions.
Along with the short film competition,
various workshops and special discussions
forums on various topics by industry experts
were organized at the festival.
The festival also brought with it an exhibi-
tion of Manga (Japanese comics in English)
along with a photography exhibition on Japan.
Bollywood
ence on me.
What was your childhood like?
I was an unhappy kid. I had no friends; was
not popular in school. I was neither good at
studies, nor at games. I was one of the wallflow-
ers whom nobody notices. I was withdrawn;
didn’t speak much, not because I didn’t have
anything to say, but used to feel that I will make
a complete fool of myself if I open my mouth.
I confessed about my passion for acting to my
two brothers, who were extremely supportive;
but dared not mention it to my father.
Then, how did acting happen to you?
As luck would have it, when at Class IX, my
father pulled me out of my first school and put
me in a school run by Indian Jesuit priests (St
Anselm’s in Ajmer). There I got a group of
friends and we enacted scenes from The Mer-
chant of Venice where I played Shylock in close
imitation of my all time favourite actor Geoffrey
Kendal. And suddenly, my whole life changed.
I was terrified for the first two seconds I was
on stage…staring at black space in front of me
(audience), with lights shining on my face. But
as I started speaking, I could hear a bit of laugh-
ter and a bit of approval from that black space.
Honestly, that was the first taste of acceptance
that I had in life and realized this is the place
where I belong.
-Trans World Features (TWF)
Mumbai: It is Slaman Khan and his latest re-
leased movie ‘Dabangg’ that is making news as
it broke all box-office history in just one week.
The movie created a new history by break-
ing the opening weekend collection record of
Aamir Khan’s movie ‘3 Idiots’, reports said.
Trade reports said ‘Dabangg’ has collect-
ed a massive amount of approximately Rs 48
crores in the opening weekend.
It is the first movie to earn such a huge
amount of collections in the opening weekend
itself, reports said.
Earlier, ‘3 Idiots’ had created a new history
at the box office by collecting Rs 41 crores in
the opening weekend.
“Dabangg ne ‘khan’phuse kar diya sab ko
:)” tweeted Arbaaz Khan who not only acted in
the movie but also produced it.
“At times I wonder whether my film is as
gr8 in merit as the business suggests, honest
answer is no? But I’m not complaining. I’m
lovin it,” he remarked.
“3 idiots is 1 of my favorite films & an all
time classic. I feel so proud when my film is dis-
cussed along w/ 3 idiots in terms of business,”
he posted in his Twitter account ‘arbaazSkhan’.
The audience has appreciated the role of
Salman Khan as ‘Chulbul Pandey’ and has
even liked Sonakshi, who started her B-Town
journey with this film.
It is indeed a powerful comeback by Salman
after his movies like ‘Veer’ and ‘London
Dreams’ failed one after the other at the box-
office in recent times.
Truly, the movie has set a benchmark for all
the future movies about to release in the festive
season ahead.
23
Indian
Vipassana Centre’s open
day next month
The Vipassana Trust extends a warm invita-
tion to all to visit the centre on its open day on
October 25, which is Labour Day.
There will be a chance to have a look around
the Centre and find out about courses offered.
Afternoon tea will be provided, and there are
pleasant bush walks for those who have time.
Vipassana, which means to see things as
they really are, is one of India’s most ancient
techniques of meditation
Vipassana is a technique that will eradi-
cate suffering; a method of mental purifica-
tion, which allows one to face life’s tensions in
a calm, balanced way and an art of living that
one can use to make positive contributions to
society.
The technique is taught at ten-day residen-
tial courses during which participants learn the
basics of the method, and practise sufficiently to
experience its beneficial results.
Vipassana teaches those who practise it to be
self-dependent, rather than to be dependent on
a teacher.
The practice is a universal remedy for uni-
versal problems and has nothing to do with any
organised religion. For this reason, it can be
practised by everyone, at any time, in any place,
without conflict due to race, community or re-
ligion, and will prove equally beneficial to one
and all.
Vipassana is a practical technique, which
enables one to lead a more positive, balanced
and happy life.
Courses are run solely on a donation
basis. forward to celebrating a unity within the
When: Monday 25 October 2010 (Labour
Day) 1.00 – 4.00 pm
Mangere Bridge 87B & 89A Wallace Road
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Home buyers step into a brand new - 5 Bedroom Brick & tile home in a prestige location with views, featuring great open
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Manukau - 261 2555
24
Where: 153 Burnside Road, Makarau
Kaukapakapa, Phone 09 420 5319(www.medini.
dhamma.org)
Directions: Go 9.2 km. north of Kaukapakapa
on the Main State Highway 16, turn right into
Makarau Rd, then, after 2.5 km, turn left into
Burnside Rd. The Vipassana Centre is 1.7 km
along Burnside Rd on the left, (look for AA
signs on SH16 and Makarau Rd).
www.rwmanukau.co.nz
Ram Rai: Citizens & Ratepayers candidate
for Mt Roskill (Puketapapa) in the
Auckland City Council election
The people of Indian Community are
punching way above their weight in the
upcoming local body elections. There are
32 candidates of Indian origin/ethnic-
ity standing for the local boards, district
health board and council. Among them is
Ram Rai, who is a Citizens & Ratepayers
candidate for Mt Roskill (Puketapapa) in
the Auckland City Council election.
Mr Rai has always evinced keen inter-
est both in politics and social work. In
fact, he has viewed politics as a means
to achieve social objectives. As a young
student from Mangalore, Karnataka, he
was encouraged by his forward-thinking
mother to challenge himself outside his
comfort-zone. This saw him take a state
scholarship to an engineering college in
Kurukshetra, Haryana instead of choos-
ing to study closer to home in Mangalore.
While there, he learnt the art of states-
manship through student body elections.
Learning Hindi and garnering a working
knowledge of Punjabi, he learnt to work
with people across the language and
social divide.
Immigrating to New Zealand in the
late 1980s, he has travelled widely and
was involved in the healthcare industry
for a couple of decades before running
his own businesses in Auckland. He
understands many cultures and looks
exciting diversity that is so wonderfully
represented in the Mt Roskill electorate.
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Community
Mr Rai has a very good perspective
both as a well-integrated immigrant and
a business owner who employed over
30 staff. He has great empathy towards
people who are in exploitative positions
due to misinformation or general misfor-
tune. Several people have come to him
with problems that he has assisted them
with, for no pecuniary gain.
His vision for Auckland is to grow this
engine-room of New Zealand with af-
fordable rates, efficient and cost effective
transportation linking the wider Auck-
land, and to achieve a greater understand-
ing between people of colours and races.
There is no reason why Auckland cannot
serve as a melting pot in a cultural sense,
and set an example to all New Zealanders.
He would work towards cost minimiza-
tion and culling wasteful expenditure to
help keep rates down. His party, Citizens
& Ratepayers, has a proven track record
of linking rate rises on par with inf lation.
Citizens & Ratepayers support the in-
cumbent Mayor John Banks for the top
job in the Auckland Council. Mr Rai is
a fervent supporter of all activities that
present opportunities to the youth of the
country. He believes in giving the right
guidance and support from an early age
so that our youth develop self esteem and
become productive members of society.
Phone: 021-655922 Email: ramrai1@
xtra.co.nz
Auction
Friday 15th Oct 2010 at 2pm in rooms,
12 Osterley Way, Manukau
(unless sold prior)
View Saturday & Sunday 1.00-1.45pm or by appt,
87B & 89A Wallace Road
Ashik Ali (Ricky) 262 6715
mobile 021 277 0858
Kunaal Prasad 262 6710
mobile 021 240 9930
Manukau Office 09 261 2555
Don Ha Real Estate Ltd Licensed (reaa 2008)
Indian

Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 25

Indian

Present

Nrityabhinaya’s
(Anuradha School of Indian Dances)

A Bharat Natyam Dance Drama

Saturday 2nd October 2010

6:30 pm
Venue
Dorothy Winstone Centre
(Auckland Girls Grammar School)
16 Howe Street, Newton

Tickets - $25 & $20

Produced, Directed &
Choreographed by
Mrs Anuradha Ramkumar

For tickets contact Anuradha 09 627 4117 / 021 155 0714, Ramkumar 021 072 0027
Ram Iyer 09 827 0559 / 021 529 982 or Email: sreerama2010@hotmail.com

Its a CFI Ltd Anniversary Presentation

HEALTHCARE PHARMACY
CLENDON
CALVIN ROCHE

26 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

 Indian
Shares mean Share of wealth
Gaining wealth over time is about sensibly
and regularly accumulating good invest-
ments. Most people can manage their own
lives and find a little extra to invest if they are
motivated and are planning about the future.
New Zealand has a very open economy and
with investments available in virtually every
sector New Zealanders can select from some
of the Worlds best investments.
Investment Research Group offers clients
C
the full range of investment products.
If you want a higher rate on short term
M
deposits or if you want a very good yield on
Y
a quality Bonds, IRG can find these for you.
Short term rates can be between 4% and 6%.
CM
Quality bonds like Greenstone offer solid
MY rates of 7.35 % for 6 years (Issue closing on
15th September 2010) and Manukau City
CY
(soon to be Supercity) offers a rate of 6.45%
CMY for 7 years (Issue closing on 24th September
2010).
K
These rates are not the silly rates offered
by finance companies, they are sensible rates
offered by stable and quality borrowers with
significant assets. So if you want to invest
hurry !!! these issues will close in next 2 to
3 weeks.
IRG also has bonds that give rates as high
as 10% but investors should understand the
risks that go with such investment.
Shares
Share really means share of profit. The
bond market is good but it gives you a fixed
return. Shares are open-ended. You can
make far greater returns (or losses) buying
shares.
IRG can give clients access to shares in
NZ (like Telecom, Tower etc); in Australia
(like BHP, ANZ, Rio Tinto etc); in the USA
For chai /coffee machine contact the above phone numbers
Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Column
(like Apple, Microsoft etc); and also in Hong
Kong, UK, Canada.
IRG has noticed that Indian inves-
tors often like Bond investments, but they
really get excited by shares. “The ease of
opening trading accounts in New Zealand
means anyone can open accounts and start
to invest” said Mr. Brent King, Managing
Director of IRG. Indian Investors like the
prospect of 30, 40 or 50% returns.
IRG offers not only accounts opening,
investing and trading services but also does
research, recommendations, newsletters and
media publications that give investment in-
formation, knowledge and training which
allow Investors to make there own decisions.
“We have had some tremendous returns
over the last 12 months in stocks like Lynas
Corp (ASX:LYS) an Australian producer of
rare earth metals. IRG recommended this
in July at A$ 0.59c and the price now is A$
1.15. A return of 100% in just 2 months !!!!!
The Australian resource sector shares have
been the winners in recent times” said Mr.
King.
This is not an everyday event however
opportunities like these do come up and IRG
monitors and recommends them to clients
who can successfully en-cash such oppor-
tunities.
All people interested in knowing more
about how and where to invest to gain wealth
over time, to secure income after retire-
ment and to develop a systematic long term
savings plan, should contact Sankul Kothari
on 09 304 0225, 0211615448, 0800 474 669,
sankul.kothari@irg.co.nz
Bonds give good returns but shares give
a SHARE OF WEALTH
27
Indian
Heritage

Dinner with Mahatma Gandhi….anyone?

ram lingam

October 2 is Gandhi Jayanti when India marks the birth of the father of the nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
“Hi. I’m Lilly. And if you could have dinner
with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be,”
President Obama was asked by a student
named Lilly during his discussion (in 2009)
with ninth graders at Wakefield High School
in Arlington Virginia.
President Obama replied: “Dinner with
anyone dead or alive? Well, you know, dead
or alive, that’s a pretty big list,” Obama re-
sponded amidst laughter. The next moment
he was serious and said “You know, I think
that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of
mine,” Obama said. “Now, it would probably
be a really small meal because he didn’t eat
a lot,” he said amidst laughter. But Mahatma
Gandhi is someone who has inspired people
across the world for the past several genera-
tions, he said.
“What was interesting was that he ended
up doing so much and changing the world just
by the power of his ethics, by his ability to
change how people saw each other and saw
themselves -- and help people who thought
they had no power realise that they had
power, and then help people who had a lot of
power realise that if all they’re doing is op-
pressing people, then that’s not a really good
exercise of power. I am always interested in
people who are able to bring about change,
not through violence, not through money,
but through the force of their personality and
their ethical and moral stances. That is some-
body that I would love to sit down and talk
to,” Obama said.
“In my life, I have always looked to
Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because
he embodies the kind of transformational nashrama dharma in a sense, in my opinion awful violence now ruling the earth, He will
change that can be made when ordinary people strictly Vedic but not in its presently popular give me the strength and show me the way.
come together to do extraordinary things,” crude sense; I believe in the protection of cow My greatest weapon is mute prayer. The cause
he wrote in an ethnic Indian newspaper last … I do not disbelieve in murti puja.” (Young of peace is therefore, in God’s good hands.”
year. That is why his portrait hangs in my India: June 10, 1921) All Religions are True: “I came to the
Senate office; to remind me that real results The Teachings of the Gita: “Hinduism as conclusion long ago … that all religions were
will not just come from Washington, they I know it entirely satisfies my soul, fills my true and also that all had some error in them,
will come from the whole being … and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold
people,” President When doubts haunt others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only
Obama said. me, when disap- pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian
To know
Gandhiji is to know
“In my life, I have always pointments stare
me in the face, and
should become a Hindu … But our innermost
prayer should be a Hindu should be a better
how wisdom is
put into practice
looked to Mahatma Gandhi when I see not one
ray of light on the
Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian
a better Christian.
in every day life. as an inspiration, because horizon, I turn to Seeking God: “I worship God as Truth
Here is a sample the Bhagavad Gita, only. I have not yet found Him, but I am
of Gandhiji’s note- he embodies the kind of and find a verse to seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacri-
worthy words of comfort me; and fice the things dearest to me in pursuit of
wisdom on sublime transformational change that I immediately this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded my
themes like GOD,
Life and religion.
can be made when ordinary begin to smile in
the midst of over-
very life, I hope I may be prepared to give it.
Religion - a Matter of the Heart: “True re-
God: “I am im-
patient to realize
people come together to do whelming sorrow.
My life has been
ligion is not a narrow dogma. It is not exter-
nal observance. It is faith in God and living
the presence of my extraordinary things” full of tragedies in the presence of God. It means faith in a
Maker, Who to me and if they have future life, in truth and Ahimsa…. Religion
embodies Truth and – President Obama on Gandhi not left any visible is a matter of the heart. No physical incon-
in the early part of and indelible venience can warrant abandonment of one’s
my career I discov- effect on me, I owe own religion.
ered that if I was to it to the teachings Faith in God: “Everyone has faith in God
realize Truth, I must obey, even at the cost of of the Bhagavad Gita.” (Young India: June 8, though everyone does not know it. For every-
my life, the law of Love” 1925) one has faith in himself and that multiplied
Sanatana Dharma: “I call myself a Sana- God is Strength: “Who am I? I have no to the nth degree is God. The sum total of all
tani Hindu, because I believe in the Vedas, strength save what God gives me. I have no that lives is God. We may not be God, but we
the Upanishads, the Puranas, and all that goes authority over my countrymen save the pure are of God, even as a little drop of water is of
by the name of Hindu scripture, and therefore moral. If He holds me to be a pure instrument the ocean.”
in avataras and rebirth; I believe in the var- for the spread of non-violence in place of the

> SIKH HERITAGE SCHOOL NEW ZEALAND (The NZ Sikh Socity Auckland)
>
is`K hYrItyj skUl inaUzIlYNf Presents
Gurdwara Sri Kalghidhar Sahib 70 Takanini School Rd, Takanini

10 October 2010 10am – 4pm

th

2010 >

> SIKH CHILDREN'S DAY

> Competitions age between – 3-16 yrs
>
Art Competition
all age groups

>
Kirtan Gatka
Basket
Ball
Boys
Joora& Patka
Tying
Roti
Making > Registration Register by >
$10 p/child date 3rd October 2010
Face Painting on this day
Prize Giving

Please PH or TEXT for info: > Lots of Attractions

Manpreet Singh - 0273674644 Speech Competition

Boys/Girls Subject (Sewa/Gurbani)
Registration forms available at:
sikhheritageschool@gmail.com Dastar
All Gurdwara Sahib’s
or download form & Guidelines
manpreet@xtra.co.nz www.nzsikh.org www.nzsikh.org
Supported by: White
Rose Builders Indo Spices World-Nagra fruit & Glass house- Kelvin fruit & Vages - Vage Oasis - Discount Bins
Daljit Singh JP-Binde Enterprises. Kang & Nijjar Brothers - Clendon Dental Centre, Dalvir Singh Papakura, Printz Centre-Papatoetoe >
Media Sponsors: Radio Spice 88fm, Tasveer Punjabi News paper, www.punjabiherald.co.nz, Kuk Punjabi, Mehak E Watan, Indian Weekender, Radio Planet 104.6 fm, Integral IT Services
28 Indian Weekender | September 24, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Eat healthy feel healthy:
the healthier start to life
Varsha Asrani
According to the World Health Organisation,
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity”.
Who does not want to be healthy and how do you
define “healthy”?
In simple terms, a healthy person feels good and
energetic both physically and mentally and indulges
in healthy eating, exercise and restrains from all
vices such as smoking.
A few small changes in the daily life of an in-
dividual – like adding colour by way of fruits and
veggies in their diet, taking the stairs instead of the
elevator and so on pave the foundation on which a
healthy lifestyle is built.
Eating healthy is an essential part of leading a
healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet not only helps in
managing our weight but also prevents against the
dangers of falling in the vicious trap of chronic ill-
nesses.
The key to success is not a rigorous or a dramatic
change in one’s daily activity, in fact research has
proved that such changes generally fail to lead nec-
essary changes and causes an early burn out. It is
ideal to lead changes which are simple and minimal
but with a significant impact.
Adding fruits and veggies not only provides us
with the much needed colour to our plate but are also
rich sources of vitamins, antioxidants and fibre.
Choose effectively when shopping, learn to read
labels. Join your neighbourhood supermarket tours
that will help you to understand labels and make the
right food choice. Change to trim or low fat milk in
place of full fat milk; make sure you add some salad
to your meals; opt for a low fat salad dressing. Pick
your favourite food and choose a low fat option the
next time you go shopping. Remember it is these
small changes that will help you with leading your
Column
lifestyle change.
In the forthcoming issues I will discuss and
explain the food pyramid and share a few more tips
on healthy food.
Another important component of a healthy life-
style is physical activity. Exercise in any form is
good and one can start building a healthier lifestyle
by adding some activity in everyday life.
Some simple changes could be stepping out of
the couch and spending some quality time with your
near and dear ones, taking them for walks or going
for a run. With summer just around the corner, out-
doors is the place to be.
Gardening is another great activity, so pick up
the rake and have a go. Give your car a good wash.
If confined in the house due to the weather, vacu-
uming is a good way to get your body moving. Park
your car a couple of blocks away and walk to work
or during your lunch – get out and check out the
neighbourhood. At your workplace, walk across to
your colleagues desk rather than calling or emailing.
Make regular workout a part of your daily routine –
30 minutes physical activity of moderate intensity,
on most or all days a week is what is recommended.
Look around for simpler and enjoyable solutions to
get your body moving, if possible add some vigorous
activity in your lifestyle for extra benefits.
By leading a healthy lifestyle if you achieve a
modest weight loss, this can greatly benefit your
health in the long run.
Do you have any health, nutrition or diet related
queries? Feel free to let me know and I will endea-
vour to include them in my forthcoming articles.
Until next time …be healthy …eat healthy ….feel
great.
You can also visit my website www.varshaas-
rani.com or email me at info@varshaasrani.com for
more information and programmes.

House to rent
Chieftain Rise,
Manukau
Heights.

5 bedroom,
3 bathroom,
double garage,
open plan living
modern house.
Beautiful Views.

Rent $595/week.
Milan Events To move in 4 wks
Weddings & Functions
bond +one wks
We welcome enquiries for: rent . Available
Weddings & Receptions end of Sept or
Venue Hire
Mandap & Stage decorations early October.
Catering
And all your event requirements

For enquiries please contact Sunita Contact

0800 999 018 or 021 187 3391

info@milanevents.co.nz
2639558 or
www.milanevents.co.nz
Auckland, New Zealand
021-915351.
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