The Indian Weekender 2 June 2023

Friday, 02 June 2023 

Volume 15 / Issue 10 

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2 

NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, 02 June, 2023 

Read online www.iwk.co.nz 

Omkar Dadarkar 

regales audience 

at Swar Tarang 

PRASHANT BELWALKAR 

It is often said that to find 

true pearls one has to dive 

deep down in the ocean. 

Lovers of Indian classical music 

in Auckland had only to drive 

down on a windy, rainy day to 

Freemans Bay to find their chosen 

one as Omkar Dadarkar delivered 

some of the finest Khayal 

Gayaki raags at the annual Swar 

Tarang concert. 

Swar Tarang, a tribute to 

samvadini maestro Late Jayant 

Bhalodkarji, is held in his memory 

by his son Samir Bhalodkar 

and wife Mruga Bhalodkar, 

ably supported by gen-next 

Tanvi Bhalodkar. 

The tenth edition of Swar 

Tarang featured renowned 

vocalist Pt. Omkar Dadarkar of 

Gwalior Gharana, who is a ‘Guru’ 

at the prestigious ITC Sangeet 

Research Academy in Kolkata. 

This is Omkar’s first visit to 

New Zealand and he was keen to 

leave his mark on the audience 

who had braved the elements 

to be present in large numbers. 

They were not disappointed as 

the evening began with beautiful 

Raag Bihag. 

The ‘bada khayal in vilambit 

ektaal’ was rendered with 

panache and versatility – a 

trademark of the Gwalior Gharana 

which has a combination of swar 

and shruti (microtonal units) 

with lai! Followed by a bandish in 

‘teentaal’ and a ‘tarana’. 

Seldom have artists spent 

so much time defining the 

ornamentation of a single raag. 

Qudos to Omkarji for taking the 

effort to educate the audience 

about “how to appreciate Indian 

classical music”. 

This was followed by an unusual 

‘jod-raag’ (combo-raag) called 

Shiv-Abhogi, a combination of 

Shiv Ranjani and Abhogi featuring 

bandish composed by the 

late CR Vyas. 

It was also presented in dual 

format, a ‘vilambit bada khayal in 

roopak taal’ and ‘drut bandish in 

teentaal’. 

Omkar comes from a musical 

family and his first guru was 

his famous aunt, late Smt 

Maniktai Varma whose famous 

abhang “Amruta Huni god naam 

tujhe deva” was performed 

as a tribute to her on her 

97th birth anniversary. 

The second half began with 

two compositions in popular 

raag Durga. 

The vilambit was in roopak and 

bandish in teen taal. 

The vilambit “tu jin bol” in 

Durga has moments which are 

unique to the Gwalior Gharana, 

aptly demonstrated by Omkarji. 

Omkar reminded many a 

times of his guru Yashwantbua 

Joshi when he rendered the 

vilambit khayal. 

The drut bandish ‘Ye ho rang 

barse hori’ showed the finer 

aspects of Durga. 

This is a famous bandish, 

rendered by Master Krishnarao, 

disciple of the legendary Pandit 

Bhaskarbua Bakhle. 

What a treat for Auckland 

audiences it was! A special 

mention is due for the 

tabla accompaniment by 

Manjit Singh, as playing for 

Gwalior Gharana singers is a 

challenge, and to top it all, 

Marathi Natyasangeet. 

It was great to see Samir 

enjoying himself on the 

samvadini in the wide range 

of raag presentation. Gwalior 

Gharana artists have a unique 

presentation as there are a lot of 

shrutis to follow, and Samir was 

up to the task throughout. 

A real sangat for the singer. 

Omkar was able to hit the high 

notes regularly but the control 

with which he presented the 

lower notes was exemplary. 

No wonder he is regarded in 

high esteem among the next 

generation of singers. 

The evening would not have 

been complete without some 

semi-classical and Natyasangeet, 

both genres which are close 

to Omkar as his lineage is in 

Natyasangeet and has strong 

relation with thumri singing 

too. He presented the famous 

thumri “Tum bin nind na aaye 

savariyan”, by late Girijadevi, and 

followed it up with a powerpacked 

performance of “Yuvati Mana” 

made famous by Master Dinanath 

Mangeshkar. 

After taking the audiences 

through a whirlwind journey 

of Raagdari sangeet, thumri, 

natyasangeet, abhang, it was 

time to wrap up the evening with 

a Bhairavi and he aptly chose 

“Itna to karna swami”, originally 

presented by Pt. Jitendra 

Abhisheki. Omkar got the 

audience on their feet at the end 

of Bhairavi, which was a moving 

experience for all. 

The trip of Omkarji for Swar 

Tarang was co-organised by 

Migrant Heritage Charitable Trust 

Inc, who have always brought in 

quality artists to New Zealand. 

Special mention of Bhushan 

Phalnikar, who was the 

accompanist on percussion for 

the Abhang and Bhairavi. 

A must to get the feel. Also, 

important to note was the sound, 

which was perfect for the entire 

evening and without any hiccups. 

This enhanced the performance 

and the audience found their 

pearls in the ocean of Indian 

classical music on the occasion. 

‘Ye Jo Mohabbat Hai’ recreates Rajesh Khanna era 

DEV NADKARNI 

IN AUCKLAND 

Gopal Bhatia and his team 

once again proved their 

prowess in delivering an 

unforgettable musical experience 

with their latest production, ‘Yeh 

Jo Mohabbat Hai,’ before a soldout 

crowd at the Skycity theatre 

in Auckland recently. 

The mesmerising show was a 

tribute to India’s first superstar, 

Rajesh Khanna, and the timeless 

songs in which he was featured 

during one of the golden eras of 

Indian cinema from the 1960s to 

the 1980s. 

The concert was a fundraiser 

for Roopa Aur Aap Charitable 

Trust, which has been delivering 

yeoman service to the Auckland 

community in the areas of family 

violence and other family crisis 

for the past several decades. 

A number of dignitaries from 

the Indian community as well as 

NZ Government Minister Marama 

Davidson, and representatives of 

NZ Police and other organisations 

were on stage to support 

the fundraising appeal along 

with trustees Roopa Suchdev 

and Jeet Suchdev and other 

board members. 

Bhatia, a consummate 

entertainer, has consistently 

delighted New Zealand audiences 

with his exceptional shows, and 

the recent performance was no 

exception. From the moment the 

curtains opened, the stage came 

alive with a burst of colours, 

energy, and an aura of nostalgia 

that transported us back to an 

era filled with romance, emotion 

and unforgettable melodies. 

The attention to detail in ‘Yeh 

Jo Mohabbat Hai’ was simply 

excellent. The content on the 

backdrop beautifully recreated 

the essence of the iconic films of 

Rajesh Khanna’s era. 

The playlist too was 

meticulously crafted, capturing 

the essence of the many moods 

of the superstar from those 

timeless films. It was evident 

that Bhatia and his team spared 

no effort in ensuring an authentic 

and visually stunning experience 

for the audience. 

But the heart and soul of 

the show lay in the music 

itself. Beginning from the song 

selection (which is the most 

difficult task – what to select and 

what to leave, as Bhatia himself 

said on stage). The talented 

performers flawlessly rendered 

“Yeh Jo Mohabbat 

Hai” was a magical 

experience that 

transported us to a 

bygone era of timeless 

music and romance. 

Bhatia’s passion for his 

craft, combined with 

the exceptional talents 

of his team, made 

this show an absolute 

delight." 

Khanna’s hit songs, showcasing 

their exceptional vocal range and 

ability to convey the depth of 

emotions embedded within those 

melodies. 

The audience was captivated 

as they belted out some of the 

more memorable classics of the 

era, their voices resonating with 

the passion and romance that 

made these songs legendary. 

What truly set this show apart 

was the way Bhatia seamlessly 

integrated innovative elements 

like Auckland’s well-known pianist 

Ben Fernandes playing a few 

solos and accompanying Bhatia 

on a few select songs. 

There was also a solo 

performed by talented flautist 

Daniel, that added to the allure 

of the concert. 

Through brief narratives and 

anecdotes, the performers shared 

fascinating insights into the life 

and times of Rajesh Khanna, 

taking us on a journey through 

the superstar’s illustrious screen 

career. It was a delightful blend of 

music, nostalgia and storytelling, 

which left the audience both 

entertained and enlightened. 

Singers Jaysree Sitaraman, 

Arpita Chanda, Kapil and Varun 

Bhagat joined Bhatia in bringing 

to life the songs of a bygone era 

with great finesse, accompanied 

by a team of excellent musicians 

including guitarist Vijay Murthy 

from India, Hemant Thakar on 

keys, Shalen on the tabla and the 

rhythm veteran Araad on digital 

rhythms and ‘samples’. 

Samples are pre-loaded 

sequences of orchestration 

produced by acoustic instruments 

that are not available on stage at 

the performance. In this case, 

Bhatia collaborated with a USbased 

company to incorporate 

these pieces. 

The chemistry between the 

performers was palpable, as 

they effortlessly complemented 

each other on stage, creating 

a harmonious and captivating 

ambiance. The energy and 

enthusiasm emanating from the 

performers were infectious, and 

it was impossible not to get 

swept away by the sheer joy 

they exuded. 

“Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai” was 

a magical experience that 

transported us to a bygone era 

of timeless music and romance. 

Bhatia’s passion for his craft, 

combined with the exceptional 

talents of his team, made this 

show an absolute delight. If you 

have a love for Indian cinema 

and the mesmerising songs of 

Rajesh Khanna, this musical 

extravaganza is an absolute 

must-see. The lighting and the 

sound balancing were nearperfect. 

Dhansukh Lal, President of 

Auckland Indian Association, 

announced the organisation’s 

100th anniversary musical 

concert titled ‘Chookar Mere Man 

Ko’ will take place on September 

30, 2023, at Victory Convention 

Centre, in association with Gopal 

Bhatia and his team, themed 

on the superstar of the century 

Amitabh Bachchan and the 

timeless voice of Kishore Kumar.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 02 June, 2023 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

Decision on overstayers 

amnesty soon: Michael Wood 

RAVI BAJPAI IN AUCKLAND 

The government is trying to take a 

decision on a proposed amnesty 

scheme for overstayers “as soon as 

possible”, says Michael Wood. 

“It’s something we’re continuing to 

review. We’ve received policy advice from 

everyone about this issue, and some 

analysis and some options around how we 

might take it forward,” the immigration 

minister told The Indian Weekender. 

Immigration officials estimate about 

14,000 people across New Zealand are 

currently overstaying in the country 

beyond their visa terms. Activists have 

called for an amnesty for these defaulters, 

often pointing to the acute labour shortage 

the country is grappling with. 

Wood acknowledges the anticipation 

building up around the scheme. “Within 

the relatively short-term period, we know 

that people are wanting there to be clarity 

about whether or not we might pursue a 

regularisation initiative. So, we will look 

to try and bring that forward and make a 

decision as soon as possible,” he says. 

New Zealand has not had an amnesty 

scheme since 2000, when about 7,000 

migrant overstayers were able to apply for 

a pathway to residency. Wood had earlier 

indicated amnesty, if any, will take time to 

materialise. 

He had said, “Our government is 

committed to upholding a fair rules-based 

immigration system and delivering on 

the goals of the immigration rebalance. 

Immigration Minister Michael Wood 

Progressing an amnesty for overstayers 

would be a considerable undertaking, and 

regardless of which group of people it 

may be extended to, it would take time 

to progress and would require legislative 

change,” he said. 

The demand for amnesty was buoyed 

in August 2021 when the government 

officially apologised for the 1970s dawn 

raids, when homes of people alleged to be 

illegally overstaying were forcibly entered 

by police in the early hours of the morning. 

People were stopped on the streets and 

asked to produce permits, visas and 

“Within the relatively shortterm 

period, we know that 

people are wanting there 

to be clarity about whether 

or not we might pursue a 

regularisation initiative. 

So, we will look to try and 

bring that forward and 

make a decision as soon as 

possible.” 

passports to prove their right to be in New 

Zealand. 

The country’s main opposition party has 

indicated it does not support a blanket 

amnesty scheme. National’s Immigration 

Spokesperson Erica Stanford recently said, 

“Many migrants who have been playing by 

the rules have missed out in recent years, 

and we should not reward those who have 

not followed the rules.” 

Meanwhile, labour shortage continues to 

nag businesses as the country recovers 

from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

But Wood says the immigration system 

is “responding very strongly” to workforce 

pressures. 

“We, in fact, have record numbers of 

people coming in with some of those 

skills that we need to fill up the workforce 

pressures. 

But also in the budget [released 

recently], you see us continuing to 

invest to make sure that we’re doing the 

hard work to actually train and upskill 

people. So, there is funding in there for 

an additional 30,000 people through the 

apprenticeship booster programme, for 

example. We’ve always said this, we need 

to get the balance right,” he says.

4 

NEW ZEALAND 

Sip, stroke 

and savour 



NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

An event in Auckland this week 

was all about encouraging and 

empowering women to develop and 

adopt a hobby or creative activity for their 

mental and emotional health. 

The event ‘Paint and Wine Night’ 

organised by Midlife Madness on May 27, 

2023, received an overwhelming response, 

with participants expressing a sense of 

fulfillment and accomplishment. 

The evening saw women from various 

walks of life gathered to unleash their 

creativity and make their masterpiece. 

Many of them were astounded by 

their hidden creativity they discovered 

at the event. As the evening progressed 

at The Waypoint in East Tamaki, a feeling 

of relaxation and rejuvenation swept 

over the attendees. 

Some even mentioned feeling 

transported back to their childhood, 

recalling a sense of innocence and joy. 

Ranjita Sandhu founded Midlife Madness 

as a Facebook group that aims to empower 

women and focuses on their holistic 

development and well-being. 

“Developing a hobby is vital to 

destress and give yourself an 

energy boost because a hobby 

can also reduce feelings of 

anxiety and depression. It can 

help us express or manage 

our emotions positively and 

productively. So, develop a 

hobby, invest in yourself and 

nourish your soul.” - Ranjita 

Sandhu 

and give yourself an energy boost because 

a hobby can also reduce feelings of anxiety 

and depression. 

It can help us express or manage our 

emotions positively and productively. So, 

develop a hobby, invest in yourself and 

nourish your soul.” 

The participants, too, shared their 

appreciation for the event and expressed 

their newfound interest in exploring 

hobbies to destress, being creative and 

finding happiness. 

One of the participants, Harpreet Kaur, 

said, “I have never seen such an event 

organised in the Indian community before. 

It was a very different and thoughtful 

concept. I enjoyed it thoroughly.” 

Capturing the event’s significance, 

another attendee, Manisha Manmauji, 

highlighted the newfound sense 

of creativity and happiness the 

evening had unveiled. 

Another attendee Nidhi Bhasin said, “A 

beautiful evening spent with some amazing 

friends. Such a beautiful event, very well 

organised. I couldn’t have enjoyed more.” 

The event’s impact resonated with 

Payal Gupta, who described the evening 

as insightful and fun, appreciating the 

guidance on developing a fulfilling hobby. 

Through this event, Midlife Madness 

has introduced its new segment, the 

‘Hobby Series’, specifically tailored 

for the community. 

The series encourages and empowers 

women to learn and adopt new hobbies 

for their mental and emotional well-being. 

The positive impact of having a 

hobby on mental health is significant, 

and Midlife Madness aims to provide 

a platform for women to explore and 

cultivate their passions. 

Regarding the event’s success, Ranjita 

told The Indian Weekender, “It was a very 

different and unique experience for the 

women of Indian ethnicity. 

They all participated in such an activity 

for the first time. 

The happiness and fulfillment I saw 

in every woman at the end of the 

event was priceless. 

They all took so many photos of 

themselves with their masterpiece as they 

could not believe their own eyes. I am so 

pleased that I hosted this event that made 

every woman proud. I want to thank my 

entire team, especially Damandeep Kaur, 

for supporting me.” 

Ranjita wants to encourage women to 

develop a hobby before it is too late. 

“Developing a hobby is vital to destress


NEW ZEALAND 5 

“Can’t wait…:” 

Parmjeet Parmar 

on her new act 


ACT leader David Seymour 

expects his party 

will accord a high list 

placing to trailblazer former MP 

Parmjeet Parmar. 

The first Indian-born woman 

to be elected to New Zealand’s 

Parliament, Parmar served 

six years as a National MP 

until 2020, and she switched 

to ACT recently. 

Seymour said he hopes ACT’s 

board will select her to contest 

from the Pakuranga electorate 

in the October 2023 national 

elections. 

National’s Simeon Brown is 

currently the MP from the area. 

Parmar said she was grateful 

for the opportunity to represent 

ACT and “make real change”, 

adding the country’s problems 

have only become worse since 

she left Parliament in 2020. 

“Government has got bigger 

and is spending more, but our 

problems – crime, cost of living, 

the crisis in the health system 

– just keep getting worse,” 

she said in a press release 

issued by ACT. 

Parmar said ACT is often 

the only party asking the hard 

questions and thinking long-term. 

“It has been said that the 

definition of insanity is doing the 

same thing over and over and 

expecting different results. We 

need to do something different. 

We need a fresh new approach,” 

she said. 

“Being back in the 

real world I actually 

realised even more 

the impact of 

government policies 

on businesses and 

communities alike 

and that’s where I 

totally agree with 

ACT: that need to 

make a change in 

the direction of our 

country.” 

Seymour described Parmar 

as “a woman of principles, 

a scholar, and a successful 

businesswoman”. 

“She will be a great addition to 

the ACT team, and I look forward 

to working with her to make New 

Zealand a better place,” he said. 

Parmar had previously run in the 

Mt Roskill electorate for National, 

but lost against Labour’s Phil 

Goff in 2014, and Michael Wood 

in 2017. 

She told RNZ she is grateful for 

the opportunity and honour to 

be a National MP for two terms. 

“They are my friends, but this 

time - because I’m not a National 

Member of Parliament at the 

moment - while I have been out 

I have considered and now it’s 

time that I go with ACT,” RNZ 

quoted her as saying. 

Since leaving Parliament she 

had reportedly been running 

her business and was a board 

member for a hospice. 

She told RNZ, “Being back in the 

real world I actually realised even 

more the impact of government 

policies on businesses and 

communities alike and that’s 

where I totally agree with ACT: 

that need to make a change in 

the direction of our country.” 

RNZ quoted her as saying she 

would be focusing on the party 

vote, rather than the electorate. 

“It’s all about party vote, so my 

goal is, I’m really grateful for the 

opportunity that ACT has given 

me to be part of their team, and 

my goal is to work with the team 

to achieve a great result at the 

election,” she said. 

Seymour said Parmar would 

be able to lead the conversation 

on biotechnology and genetics. 

“Parmjeet’s standing for ACT 

because she wants to promote 

science and business. ACT 

thinks it’s long overdue that we 

have a discussion particularly 

on genetics and biotech in New 

Zealand,” RNZ quoted Seymour 

as saying.

6 

NEW ZEALAND 

Papatoetoe food 

fest serves up 

diverse flavours 



NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

IN AUCKLAND 

The vibrant community 

of Papatoetoe came 

alive with the inaugural 

Papatoetoe Food Festival on May 

27, 2023. 

The event was inspired 

by a desire to celebrate 

and showcase the diverse 

culinary traditions and flavours 

of South Auckland. 

It brought together food 

enthusiasts, vendors and 

communities to promote cultural 

exchange and indulge in a variety 

of cuisines from different parts 

of the world, including Fiji, 

Hungary, India, New Zealand, the 

Middle East, Mexico, Pakistan and 

Taiwan among others. 

The event at Saint George 

Street drew an impressive crowd, 

with at least 4,000 people in 

attendance through the day. 

The area transformed into 

a bustling food paradise, 

buzzing with excitement and 

tantalising aromas. 

Organised by Papatoetoe 

Central Main Street Society 

and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local 

Board, the festival offered 

a range of highlights for 

attendees of all ages. 

Children enjoyed face painting 

and other engaging activities 

designed to keep them 

entertained. 

The main stage featured 

captivating performances 

by various cultural groups, 

showcasing their vibrant 

“The response from 

community groups 

was overwhelmingly 

positive. The local 

community and 

stallholders expressed 

their love and 

appreciation for the 

event. In fact, due to 

the unexpectedly high 

turnout, some food 

stalls ran out of their 

culinary creations.” 

- Rana Judge 

traditions through music, dance 

and other artistic expressions. 

Live music performances added 

to the festive atmosphere, 

creating a lovely backdrop 

for visitors to savour 

culinary delights. 

Dignitaries from the local 

community turned up at the event. 

Among the guests were former 

Auckland mayoral candidate 

Efeso Collins, Ōtara-Papatoetoe 

Local Board Chairperson Apulu 

Reece Autagavaia and former MP 

Ross Robertson. 

Talking to The Indian 

Weekender, Rana Judge, 

Manager of Papatoetoe Central 

Main Street Society, said, “The 

response from community groups 

was overwhelmingly positive. 

"The local community and 

stallholders expressed their love 

and appreciation for the event. 

In fact, due to the unexpectedly 

high turnout, some food stalls ran 

out of their culinary creations.” 

According to Judge, these 

celebrations of cultural heritage 

provide a platform for showcasing 

the richness and diversity of the 

community’s culinary traditions. 

Moreover, they offer 

opportunities for crosscultural 

interactions, fostering 

understanding and appreciation 

among different communities in 

New Zealand. 

Guests left with bellies full, 

fond memories and a greater 

appreciation for the cultural 

diversity that enriches their 

community. 

One of the attendees and 

National Party’s candidate 

from the Panmure-Otahuhu 

constituency for upcoming 

elections, Navtej Randhawa, 

said, “Papatoetoe Food Festival 

was widely attended by many 

locals who celebrate good food 

and company. I loved the diverse 

range of food and people and the 

positive vibes.” 

Another attendee Navinder 

Kaur said, “The festival left a 

lasting impression on all those 

who attended. 

"It reinforced the idea that 

embracing cultural diversity 

enhances our understanding of 

one another and adds flavour and 

vibrancy to our lives.” 

NAME CHANGE 

I am Manpreet Kaur Gill w/o Pardeep 

Singh resident of 126B Te Manatu 

Drive Huntington, Hamilton changed 

my name to Manpreet Kaur.


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Cost pressures won’t impact disability 

support: Minister Radhakrishnan 


Priyanca Radhakrishnan is 

backing the new budgetary 

support to tide over the 

cost-of-living crisis in ensuring 

continued access to disability 

support services. 

The minister for disability 

issues told The Indian 

Weekender the $863-million 

investment announced in 

the Budget last month “will 

meet the cost pressures our 

services are facing”. 

“So, we’ve got about 120,000 

disabled people who access the 

support services. 

There’s funding in the budget 

to ensure they can continue to 

do that…but also meet demand 

increases…we know that there 

are more people who need to 

access these services. So, there’s 

money in the budget to deal with 

all of that,” she said. 

Stakeholders had largely 

welcomed the support for 

disabled services announced 

in the Budget last month, but 

said they were waiting for 

details about allocation before 

commenting on specifics. 

On May 19, 2023, Stuff news 

had quoted Melissa Smith, the 

Chief Executive Officer of charity 

Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan. (RNZ / Samuel Rillstone) 

CCS Disability Action, as saying 

the money for disability support 

services will require “a little bit 

more investigation” before she 

could comment on it. 

“It seems like a reasonable 

amount of money when you 

see it all wrapped up in one, 

but…knowing what the actual 

breakdown of that figure is will 

make a difference,” Stuff quoted 

her as saying. 

Radhakrishnan said beside 

funds to tackle cost pressures, 

the Budget also offers other 

measures that will help 

disabled people “get around 

independently”. 

She pointed to the Total 

Mobility scheme that has now 

been made permanent. 

The service provides disabled 

people who cannot use public 

transport a 50 per cent concession 

on taxi rides. 

The Budget also scrapped a rule 

that had so far allowed employers 

to pay disabled people less than 

the minimum wage, ostensibly 

because their disability made 

them less productive. 

Radhakrishnan said, “We are 

going to scrap Minimum Wage 

Exemption…[we] will provide a 

subsidy to employers so that we 

don’t lose the jobs that disabled 

people have. 

But ultimately, they’ll be paid 

at least the minimum wage like 

everyone else. So, a fair bit in 

there [the budget] 

for the disability 

community.” 

The minister 

“Budget 

2023 is one 

that has been 

delivered at a particularly 

tough time globally, and 

New Zealand is not immune 

from the global pressures 

that we are seeing that 

have affected cost of 

living increases 

here." 

pointed to 

the global 

economy 

and larger 

economic 

challenges 

in which her 

colleague, 

Finance Minister 

Grant Robertson, 

drafted the Budget. 

“Budget 2023 is one that has 

been delivered at a particularly 

tough time globally, and New 

Zealand is not immune from the 

global pressures that we are 

seeing that have affected cost 

of living increases here. 

People are feeling the pinch, 

whether it is at the supermarkets 

or the petrol pumps. So, one part 

of the budget’s focus is on easing 

that cost-of-living pressure for 

New Zealanders,” she said. 

Radhakrishnan said the 

government’s decision to 

abolish the $5 co-payments 

on prescriptions “will make a 

massive difference”. 

Responding to the budgetary 

announcement, the main 

opposition National Party had 

opposed a blanket removal of 

co-payments, saying the 

fees should still apply 

to those who can 

easily afford it. 

“We know that 

in just the last 

year alone, about 

135,000 people 

did not pick up 

their prescriptions 

because of the 

cost that was a 

barrier for them…this 

is an investment that helps 

individuals and families in terms 

of supporting their health. But 

it’s also an investment in the 

health care system more broadly, 

as well,” Radhakrishnan said. 

Bank of India (New Zealand) Ltd 

Welcome to Bank of India (NZ) Ltd. 

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Papatoetoe, Manukau 2025

8 

MAHESH KUMAR 

NEW ZEALAND 

Arya Samaj Christchurch, 

founded in 2006, is 

dedicated to raising 

awareness about the spiritual 

teachings of the vedas and 

preserving the rich legacy of 

Indian heritage. This vibrant 

organisation strives to actively 

engage its members, particularly 

the younger generation, through 

various regular events. 

Arya Samaj’s faith is rooted 

in the values and practices 

derived from the Vedas, and 

has been making a profound 

impact globally. Founded in 1875 

with the purpose of reviving 

the teachings of the Vedas and 

liberating Hindu dharma from 

superstitious beliefs, Arya Samaj 

aims to spread the true teachings 

of the Vedas, fostering peace 

within human beings, promoting 

respect for the environment 

and harmony among followers 

of different religions. The term 

‘Veda’ itself signifies knowledge, 

as the Vedas serve as the 

ultimate source of wisdom and 

enlightenment. 

Arya Samaj Christchurch carries 

on this tradition by providing a 

platform where its members can 

learn and share the principles and 

teachings of the Vedas, as well 

as their cultural heritage. 

Under the umbrella of Arya 

Samaj Pratinidhi Sabha New 

Zealand Inc., Arya Samaj 

Christchurch has been active 

since its inception in 2006. 

Guided by the principles of the 

Arya Samaj movement, this 

dynamic organisation conducts 

regular community prayers and 

various events to engage its 

members. 

Arya Samaj Christchurch holds 

a monthly ‘havan’ on Saturday 

evenings, followed by bhajans 

and discussions on Vedic mantras 

and topics. These gatherings, 

known as satsangs, take place in 

the homes of members and are 

attended by up to 40 people. 

Janaki Kandula, the 

spokesperson for the Samaj, 

highlighted the various activities 

that take place during these 

satsangs. “We begin with a 

havan, followed by presentations 

from our youth members on their 

learnings about the Vedas or 

mantras,” Kandula explained. 


She also mentioned the regular 

classes she conducts for young 

Samaj members, teaching them 

about the Vedas, the importance 

of havan and the power of 

mantras. Kandula’s classes, 

which have attracted more than 

30 students, use a mix of Hindi 

and English to explain the topics 

in a simple way that appeals to 

the younger generation. 

Even during the challenging 

times of the Covid-19 pandemic, 

Kandula organised online 

workshops, allowing students 

to learn about the significance 

of havan and proper havan 

procedures. 

The satsangs also involve 

discussions on Vedic topics, 

providing an interactive and 

enlightening experience for 

all participants. The satsangs 

conclude with a community lunch 

or dinner prepared by members. 

Meditation and yoga hold a 

special place in the activities 

of Arya Samaj Christchurch. 

Recognising their importance for 

spiritual growth, the organisation 

emphasises these practices 

alongside its regular events. 

In addition to the monthly 

satsangs, Arya Samaj 

Christchurch also hosts four big 

events during the year. The first, 

held in January, is the Gayatri 

Havan, where an akhand Gayatri 

path and havan are performed 

for four hours non-stop, followed 

by a community lunch. 

In April, the Samaj 

commemorates Arya Samaj 

Sthapana Divas, celebrating 

the founding of Arya Samaj by 

Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati on 


Arya Samaj Christchurch: Preserving 

heritage, spreading light of Vedic teachings 

April 10, 1875. Nearly 100 people 

attend this event, participating in 

havans and reciting mantras. 

In June, International Yoga Day 

is celebrated, and in October, 

Ved Prachar raises awareness 

about the importance of Vedas, 

havan and the principles of Arya 

Samaj. 

President of Arya Samaj 

Christchurch Divakar Kandula 

says, “All the events and satsangs 

are organised and funded solely 

by the members of Arya Samaj 

Christchurch, without seeking 

any external monetary help or 

sponsorship.” 

“Being conscious about the 

environment, we do not use 

plastic or even paper plates or 

cups. We only use steel and 

reusable plates and cutleries 

which can be washed and 

reused,” Kandula adds. 

Arya Samaj Christchurch also 

plans to hold a series of monthly 

workshops on Vedic studies. 

These workshops aim to benefit 

young Indian-origin members and 

the wider community interested 

in the Indian tradition of Vedas, 

expanding the knowledge and 

understanding of these ancient 

scriptures. 

Kandula concludes, “We take 

pride in continuing to carry 

the Sanskrit invocation ‘Tamso 

ma Jyotirgamya’ – from the 

darkness, lead us to the light.” 

Labour and National in standoff over housing density 

RNZ 

The main parties both say 

they are willing to work 

together on policies to 

build more housing, but neither 

seems likely to budge over their 

approach. 

Housing Minister Megan Woods 

has now offered twice to meet 

with National's leadership after 

they pulled their support for 

the Medium Density Residential 

Standards (MDRS) this weekend. 

National say they would be 

happy to talk, but their new 

policy of developing in greenfields 

land is better than the previously 

negotiated deal. 

With Labour leaving the door 

open to further changes to 

the standards in the wake of 

National's exit, neither approach 

seems likely to bring the certainty 

the sector demands. 

The MDRS standards allow up 

to three homes three storeys 

high to be built on most sites in 

New Zealand's main towns and 

cities with no need for resource 

consents. The move was originally 

announced in October 2021 in 

a rare show of bipartisanship - 

Woods and Minister David Parker 

sharing the stage with then- 

Housing Spokesperson Willis and 

National's then-leader Judith 

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly 

Collins. Woods said it "makes 

sense to work together where 

there is a consensus". 

Willis at the time said National 

was standing together with 

Labour "to say an emphatic yes 

to housing in our backyards", 

but that emphatic yes became 

a no over the weekend when the 

party's housing spokesperson 

Chris Bishop unveiled their new 

housing policy. 

National's new plan would 

require councils to zone enough 

land for 30 years of development, 

and make that land immediately 

available for that purpose. It 

would also mean an increase in 

mixed-use zoning - commercial 

and residential property together. 

The kicker was they would also 

allow councils to opt out of the 

MDRS - with leader Christopher 

Luxon going so far as to say the 

party had got MDRS wrong. 

Bishop on Tuesday said the 

new policy was better - giving 

councils and communities more 

flexibility in how they implement 

density. "I think our programme 

is extremely ambitious, I'm really 

proud of it," he said. "The point 

is to smash the urban limits that 

have held our cities back, so, 

the Infrastructure Commission, 

Treasury, the Productivity 

Commission - there's now a 

decade worth of reports on how 

restrictions on the edges of our 

cities drive up land prices. 

He said the party had signed 

up to the government's MDRS 

proposal in 2019 because "we 

thought it was better than doing 

nothing". What we are proposing 

is better than what we have in 

the MDRS, it is more ambitious, it 

will take housing more seriously, 

it will drive down land prices and 

it will lead to more affordable 

housing." 

Willis said it would allow 

councils to use the MDRS if they 

wanted - or not. 

"If they want to do it through 

an MDRS that's fine, if they want 

to do it through greenfields 

development that's fine too." 

She denied backing out of the 

standards was a u-turn. 

"I don't see it that way, I think 

it's a step forward." 

Green Party co-leader James 

Shaw criticised National's plan as 

bad for the climate, bad for the 

economy. 

"I think the main thing we're 

kind of a bit bemused by is the 

idea that actually there would 

be a lot of farmers who would 

be worried that their political 

party, the National Party, is 

considering swallowing up vast 

tracts of countryside for urban 

sprawl and the cost of that to 

the country is massive compared 

with densifying your cities, which 

was the original intent. 

"Urban sprawl is a more 

expensive, less efficient and 

more polluting way of creating 

our cities, it doesn't work. We've 

got decades of experience in it 

not working. I think the idea that 

you'd now pump for that failed 

model is daft." 

Woods also had some major 

reservations. 

"I'm still not sure what exactly 

they mean when they say they're 

going to make 30 years of 

zoned land buildable," she said. 

"By my back-of-the-envelope 

calculations that's tens of billions 

of dollars of infrastructure 

funding that is required as soon 

as that is put into place. 

"The document I've seen is 

very light on detail, I'm keen 

to understand more and that's 

exactly why I've invited them to 

a further meeting so we can have 

this conversation." 

Bishop had some further details 

which could shed some light for 

Woods. 

"She needs to read the policy 

properly because one of the key 

parts of the policy is there has to 

be greenfields availability, there 

has to be abundant development 

opportunities both on the edges 

of our cities which is greenfields 

but also inside our cities. But 

that if there is greenfields growth 

that has to happen then it can't 

be cross-subsidised by existing 

ratepayers.


NEW ZEALAND 9 

Eight-year-old shines bright 

with her natural talent 

MAHESH KUMAR 

Meet Aura Mendiratta, an 

eight-year-old girl who has 

become a regular face at 

Christchurch’s community cultural 

events, captivating audiences with her 

talent across diverse art forms. 

Proudly embracing her Indian heritage, 

Aura showcases her cultural identity 

with confidence that stems from 

her strong connections to her 

roots and encouragement 

from her parents. 

Aura, a year four 

student at Westburn 

School in Ilam, has 

shown a keen interest 

in extra-curricular 

activities from a young 

age. From the age 

of three, Aura started 

taking various classes, 

including gymnastics, 

swimming, ballet, drama, 

climbing and ice skating. 

Aura comes from a family rooted 

in Indian and New Zealand cultures. 

Originally from Delhi, her parents 

relocated to New Zealand in 2009, 

where Aura and her younger sister, 

Nora, were born. 

Her parents were committed to 

ensuring Aura stayed connected to her 

Indian roots, and they introduced her 

to Bharatnatyam and Bollywood dance 

when she was five years old. 

Aura first performed Bharatnatyam in 

a group at the age of six. She has since 

Calls grow for tighter 

vaping rules in NZ 

RNZ/LOUISE TERNOUTH 

participated in numerous Bharatnatyam, 

Bollywood and drama workshops, 

captivating audiences with her 

grace and skill. 

Expanding her repertoire, 

Aura also explored the world 

of Bhangra in 2022. Joining 

The Bhangra Fitness (TBF) 

Christchurch, she quickly 

mastered the energetic dance 

style and performed as part of a 

group at Teeyan Da Mela 2022 event, 

where she stood out as the youngest 

performer. 

By the time she turned seven, Aura 

confidently took the stage for her first 

solo Bhangra performance at the Selwyn 

Diwali event in November last year. 

Since then, she has participated in several 

solo Bhangra performances in Selwyn, 

Christchurch and Ashburton, impressing 

the audience and fellow performers with 

her natural talent. 

On being asked what kind of performances 

she loves to do, Aura says, “I love being on 

stage and doing all kinds of performances. 

I really like Bharatnatyam but Bhangra has 

become my favourite! It’s so much fun to 

dance and see the audience smile.” 

Apart from her dance prowess, Aura 

also has a talent for singing. She delivered 

her first public performance at an Arya 

Samaj event in 2021. She is currently 

participating in Jalsa Talent Show Season 

4, where she regaled the audience with 

her rendition of “Luka Chuppi” by Lata 

Mangeshkar. 

Talking about the family’s commitment 

to Aura’s creative growth, her father 

Tarun says, “My wife and I have been 

"I 

love being on 

stage and doing all 

kinds of performances. 

I really like Bharatnatyam 

but Bhangra has become 

my favourite! It’s so 

much fun to dance and 

wholeheartedly supporting her 

interests. With Aura’s busy 

schedule packed with school, 

Bhangra, Bollywood dance, 

drama and swimming 

classes, we have changed 

our lives around her classes 

and activities.” 

Aura was also selected 

for the prestigious Children 

University 2022, where she 

represented her class and school 

as the only Indian student among 20 

participants from Westburn School. 

Aura says, “I like studying science, and 

when I grow up, I want to be a space 

scientist. I want to learn about stars and 

planets and go on space adventures!” 

see the audience 

smile." 

MP for Panmure-Ōtāhuhu 

There are growing calls for tighter 

regulations on vaping as teachers 

and experts say the problem is 

spiralling out of control. A recent survey 

by ASH New Zealand shows there has been 

a 209 per cent increase in daily vaping 

among 13 to 14-year-olds. 

The Australian government has recently 

announced a ban on recreational vaping 

and the UK is considering a crackdown. 

Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister 

Chris Hipkins has directed the health 

minister to bring some suggestions to 

the cabinet. Many people on Auckland’s 

streets told Checkpoint vaping was 

widespread. “People that don’t even 

smoke cigarettes are moving on to like 

vaping... what was the point of going on 

to vape if you weren’t even doing it to 

reduce your cigarette intake. I think it’s 

happening at schools these days, vaping 

was not around when I was in school,” 

said one woman. A shopper said, “I think 

because it’s so easily accessible now, you 

know you can get it at dairies, you can get 

it at like small convenience stores now.” 

Principal of Papatoetoe High School 

and President of Secondary Principals’ 

Association Vaughan Couillaut said schools 

nationwide are dealing with the problem 

everyday. 

“I know from my colleagues, my friends, 

the society that I live in, that we’re all 

dealing with the the downward creep in 

terms of chronological age, that vaping is 

managing to reach down into, which has 

got to be a problem.” 

A recent survey showed there had been a 209 per cent 

increase in daily vaping among 13 to 14-year-olds. 

(Photo: 123RF) 

Some schools were resorting to the 

use of CCTV and vape detectors to catch 

students vaping on school grounds. 

Couillaut said despite their best efforts 

students were getting their hands on 

vapes no matter what. 

“There is the argument that vaping is 

a good tool to help get you off smoking 

and that may well be the case. But there’s 

a whole lot of kids that probably never 

would have started smoking who have 

started vaping,” Couillaut said. 

ASH New Zealand said its February 

survey showed while smoking rates had 

fallen to a record low in 13 and 14-yearolds, 

vaping had skyrocketed. Daily vaping 

had risen from 3.1 per cent in 2019 to 9.6 

per cent in 2021. ASH director Ben Youdan 

said 40 per cent of students said the main 

reason they were vaping was “to give it 

a try”. “Particularly, I think of concern 

at the moment is we’ve seen a really 

big increase in things like the disposable 

vapes, which are very, very cheap, very 

easy to conceal.” 

Electorate office: 

7Fulton Cres, Ōtara 

09 274 9231 

Panmure.OtahuhuMP@parliament.govt.nz 

Ōtāhuhu and Riverside Clinic: 

Ōtāhuhu Town Hall, 

10-12 High St 

Monday Mornings 

9.30am to 11.30am 

Panmure and 

Point England Clinic: 

By Appointment 

Phone 09 274 9231

10 

LUCY XIA/RNZ 

NEW ZEALAND 

Small retailers in Auckland 

say the rollout of the fog 

cannon subsidy to protect 

their shops from robbery needs 

to be faster, and some want the 

eligibility criteria expanded. 

A $4,000 subsidy was set 

up in 2022 after the death of 

Auckland dairy worker Janak 

Patel. The government this week 

announced an extra $11 million 

for the scheme. 

Some retailers are fed-up with 

delays in getting the devices 

installed. Since February, of the 

1,664 approved applications 

584 had been installed, and the 

government said a further 3,350 

would be subsidised by the end 

of this year. 

But some who applied earlier 

are still waiting. Sandringham 

dairy owner Dayana paid an 

application fee more than three 

months ago. “I paid $250, still 

work is going on, they said June 

they’re going to do, still waiting,” 

she said. 

Dayana’s shop suffered three 

aggravated robberies last year, 

her husband once held at knifepoint. 

She said every day at 

work was frightening. “Actually 

it’s scary, because day by day 

it’s everywhere, there’s robbery 

going on, it’s not easy to stand 

here,” she said. 

Dayana said following the killing 

of nearby dairy worker Janak 

Patel, she had briefly considered 

closing her store. A fog cannon 

would help a bit, but she did 

not believe the overall security 

situation would change. 

Meanwhile, about 1,000 

approved applicants are still 

waiting for their fog canons to 

be installed. Dairy and Business 

Association Chairperson Sunny 

Kaushal said the implementation 

of the scheme had been 

inefficient. 

“That tells you how slow 

this programme is progressing, 

whereas our small businesses, 

they have been facing the 

bashing, the ram raids, the 

burglaries, the robberies, almost 

every day,” he said. 

Kaushal added the extended 

funding did not change the fact 


that there were significant delays, 

or that about 100 applicants 

have been declined. 

He said he knew shop owners 

who had been declined help on 

the basis that they had not been 

robbed yet. “You know it should 

not be the case - one should not 

be ram raided first, or robbed 

first to get the subsidy,” he said. 

However, the government’s 

criteria for the subsidy said 

there was no requirement for 

applicants to have been a victim 

of a ram raid or burglary. 

In a statement, the Ministry 

of Business, Innovation and 

Employment business specialist 

Glen McCloy said the ministry had 

never declined a retailer for Fog 

Canon Subsidy Scheme based 


Fog cannons: Dairy owners unhappy 

with delays as extra $11m announced 

on the fact they had not been 

robbed or ram-raided. 

“Retailers are only declined if 

they do not meet the eligibility 

criteria, as stated on the 

website. The Police’s Retail Crime 

Prevention Programme (RCPP) 

also provides retailers with fog 

cannons, but is different from 

the Subsidy Scheme. Retailers 

may be declined for a fog cannon 

if they had applied under the 

RCPP and weren’t the victims of a 

ram raid or aggravated robbery,” 

McCloy said. 

More demand 

Meanwhile, others are calling 

for eligibility to be expanded to 

include chain stores. Naresh, who 

co-owns seven vape stores, says 

they have had about 15 robberies 

over the past six months. 

He said they had been declined 

assistance because currently the 

scheme only helped businesses 

with fewer than two shops, which 

he said did not make sense. 

“I don’t see the number of 

stores being a criteria, being 

helpful, for retailers like us. So 

we’re not too big… we’re not 

too small, we’re sort of caught 

up in the middle, where we feel 

helpless,” said Naresh, adding 

they had spent about $140,000 

to install bollards and security 

doors across their seven shops, 

but did not have any money left 

for fog cannons. 

‘No reason’ NZ shouldn’t be safest country in world: National 

RNZ 

National’s 

police 

spokesperson says there 

is “no reason” why New 

Zealand shouldn’t be the safest 

country in the world, but “we are 

completely heading in the wrong 

direction”. 

Mark Michell’s comments came 

as the government announced a 

further $11 million will be spent 

on its fog cannon scheme to 

protect retail businesses. 

Police data shows ram raids are 

up 55 per cent nationwide over 

the past three months, with 68 

in April alone. 

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins 

admitted there had been a “big 

spike” in retail crime in recent 

years, and accepted more needed 

to be done to prevent it. 

Mitchell told Morning Report 

ram raids were still happening 

and fog cannons were simply a 

band-aid. 

“The real issue is [the 

government] have to address the 

drivers of crime and the actual 

crime that is happening,” he said. 

Mitchell added business owners 

wanted fog cannons, and a 

National government would 

continue the rollout. 

“Sadly, it does at least give 

them a bit more sense of security 

having things like fog cannons 

and bollards and other counter 

methods in place. But we would 

be far more focused in putting 

all our energies into actually 

stopping the crime that was 

happening,” he said. 

Mitchell emphasised National 

would refocus police, get them 

back to basics, have them 

highly visible in retail areas and 

gathering intelligence in their 

patch. He said police numbers 

were increasing too slowly, and 

that police are now “completely 

overwhelmed” by demand. 

“Often members of the public 

“I paid $250, still 

work is going on, 

they said June 

they’re going to 

do, still waiting. 

Actually it’s scary, 

because day by day 

it’s everywhere, 

there’s robbery 

going on, it’s not 

easy to stand here.” 

- Sandringham dairy 

owner 

(From left) Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and National's Mark Michell. (RNZ / Samuel Rillstone) 

Police data shows ram 

raids are up 55 per cent 

nationwide over the past 

three months, with 68 in 

April alone. 

are putting their hand up for 

help and they just quite simply 

don’t have the bandwidth or the 

resources to be able to respond,” 

he said. 

Mitchell told Morning Report 

National would commit to a 

certain ratio of officers to New 

Zealanders, but could not give a 

ballpark figure of what that might 

be. “What we do know is that it’s 

very obvious that the ram raids, 

the aggravated robberies, and 

this youth and juvenile offending 

is not only continuing, it’s 

continuing to increase. 

“There is no reason why we 

shouldn’t be the safest country 

in the world. At the moment, we 

are completely heading in the 

wrong direction,” he said. 

Mitchell reconfirmed National 

would introduce an “intensive 

programme” for offenders ages 

15-17 by sending them to 

military academies for up to a 

year to “get them away from the 

gangs and get them making good 

decisions in their lives as well”. 

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told 

Morning Report there had been 

an escalation of violent crime in 

the post-Covid period, and New 

Zealand was “not unique” in that 

regard. 

“I think we do have to accept 

that we do need to do more in 

that area, we need to tackle it at 

both ends,” he said. 

“Often members of 

the public are putting 

their hand up for help 

and they [police] just 

quite simply don’t have 

the bandwidth or the 

resources to be able to 

respond." - National's 

police spokesperson. 

Hipkins added supporting 

businesses to have preventative 

measures, such as fog cannons 

and bollards, helped give owners 

a “greater sense of safety”, 

but accepted the government 

needed to look at how the level 

of offending could be reduced. 

“We did see, in the first rollout 

of fog cannons, that those 

businesses that had them were 

less prone to revictimisation than 

the businesses that didn’t. 

“So it just helps to reduce 

the level of victimisation for 

those businesses to have 

the fog cannons. 

"No, it’s not an ultimate 

solution. Reducing the level of 

offending is what we have to focus 

on,” he said.


NEW ZEALAND 11 

New Zealand’s education sector faces 

fierce challenges amid global competition 

MAHESH KUMAR 

According to a recent study 

by Education New Zealand, there 

is a positive trend in approved 

international student visas. 

However, many immigration and 

international education experts 

have concerns regarding the 

delay in deciding on student 

visa applications, impacting the 

sector’s recovery. 

The closure of borders due to 

Covid-19 and delayed reopening 

for international students have 

significantly impacted New 

Zealand’s education industry. 

Competitor countries have 

gained an advantage, while 

New Zealand struggles with visa 

delays and waning interest from 

international students. 

The seventh issue of Insight 

Story, published in March 2023, 

covers various topics such 

as student visa applications, 

New Zealand’s education 

brand, potential markets, 

and the economic benefits of 

international education. 

The study says that there 

was a significant increase of 

199 per cent in the ‘Study with 

New Zealand’ website traffic 

from India- the primary driver 

of the growth in the website 

traffic. In February 2023, India 

emerged as the top country 

in terms of website users, 

followed by Vietnam, Brazil, 

Thailand, and Japan. 

This indicates a substantial 

interest from India in selecting 

New Zealand as a study 

destination or seeking more 

information about studying 

there. However, whether this 

interest will result in actual 

applications is uncertain. 

Commenting on the study, 

Sandeep Sharma, CEO, QualityNZ 

Education says, “The lockdown 

has changed the way students 

go about navigating their 

international education journey, 

which previously was largely 

dependent on information from 

agents. With easy and cheap 

access to the internet on their 

phones, students from Tier 2 and 

3 cities of India are outnumbering 

bigger cities on enquiries for 

study abroad.” 

The report also notes an 

increasing trend in approved 

international student visa 

applications. From December 

2022 to February 2023, the 

number of approved visas reached 

two-thirds of the pre-pandemic 

levels seen from December 2019 

to February 2020. 

The top four nationalities 

among student visa holders in 

March 2023 were Chinese, Indian, 

South Korean, and Japanese, 

consistent with March 2020. 

However, the proportion of 

visa holders from India decreased 

from 19 per cent to 10 per cent 

during this period. 

While there has been some 

progress in processing visa 

applications since October 2022, 

with Immigration New Zealand 

finalising approximately 16,000 

applications and an average 

Pawandeep Singh 

Source: Education New Zealand Insights Team 

approval rate of 95 per cent from 

December 2022 to February 

2023, concerns remain about 

the slow processing. 

Bharat Chawla, the co-founder 

of Uniqway- an education 

consultancy firm, says, “Yes, 

there is increased demand in 

International student numbers 

from India and other countries, 

but due to the delay in deciding 

on student visa applications 

lodged with Immigration 

New Zealand (INZ), students 

and agents are concerned 

about the future.” 

According to data on the 

Immigration NZ website, the 

average processing time for the 

processing of visa applications 

of university students was 18 

Bharat Chawla 

weekdays and 90 per cent 

were completed within 47 

weekdays(little more than 

two months). For Te Pūkenga 

students, the average processing 

time was 58 weekdays and 

90 per cent were completed 

within 78 weekdays(almost four 

months). 

Chawla says, “Most of the 

other countries are processing 

student visa applications in less 

than a month.” 

Chawla emphasises the need 

for better coordination between 

different agencies. 

“Education New Zealand (ENZ) 

is an agency which is promoting 

globally, but another hand 

government (Immigration New 

Zealand) is not moving quickly 

Sandeep Sharma 

or delaying the cycle. Everyone 

must work together to compete 

in the international education 

market,” he says. 

Chawla adds that “These 

abnormal delays(in visa 

application processing) are unfair 

to full-fee-paying students.” 

Pawandeep Singh, Director 

of Kiwiana Immigration 

and Education, points out 

to the low approval rate 

for PTEs Te Pūkenga. 

“Though the volume of 

applications has increased, the 

overall approval rate from India is 

just over 60 per cent. The majority 

of the students are applying for 

PTEs and Te Pūkenga, where 

the approval rate is low. The 

approval rate for those applying 

to universities is 85.2 per cent 

but only 1623 applications were 

lodged with universities.” 

“In my experience, the 

applicants applying for Bachelor, 

PG and Master are being given an 

advantage and the approval rate 

is also high. 

"Those who are applying for 

undergraduate diploma-level 

programs such as Cookery, 

Bakery, Healthcare, Business, 

IT, etc are being interviewed 

by the INZ officers to ensure 

only the quality students are 

granted a visa.” 

Singh adds, “In some cases, 

we have seen unfair declines 

as well based on the bonafide, 

financials etc. I believe INZ needs 

to develop consistency in the 

decision-making as this has 

always been the issue. 

The study reveals a 68 per 

cent decrease in approved 

student visa applications from 

December 2022 to February 

2023 compared to December 

2019 to February 2020. 

China and India had the 

highest number of approved 

visa applications in both time 

periods, but in the recent period, 

approved applications from China 

decreased by 8 per cent while 

those from India decreased by a 

significant 59 per cent. 

The study finds that other 

popular English-speaking 

education destinations like 

Canada, the United States, the 

United Kingdom, and Australia 

have seen strong recoveries in 

student visa grants, surpassing 

previous years and pre-pandemic 

levels. 

India had the highest number 

of visas granted among these 

countries in 2022. 

The United Kingdom saw a 

55 per cent increase in student 

visas granted from 2019 to 

2022. Australia had an 8 per 

cent increase in student visas 

granted during the same period. 

Canada witnessed a significant 

74 per cent increase in student 

visas granted, and the United 

States recorded a 29 per cent 

increase. In comparison, New 

Zealand experienced a 57 per 

cent decrease in student visas 

granted from 2019 to 2022. 

“UK and Canada have 

always been destinations for 

international students, mainly 

from India. 

"The strong numbers after 

the pandemic can be attributed 

to countries’ efforts to help 

their education sectors recover 

by easing their immigration 

settings,” Sharma explains. 

“We are already seeing 

countries tightening their visa 

policies again with the UK revoking 

partner visas for master’s 

students, which constituted 

to 22% of the increase, while 

some Australian universities 

have barred enrolment of Indian 

students from some states,” 

says Sharma. 

New Zealand’s education 

sector significantly contributed 

to the economy in 2019, with 

immediate benefits of $3.7 

billion and about 6,000 jobs. 

However, due to the pandemic 

and declining student numbers, 

this declined significantly to 

$790 million in 2022. 

The study concludes that 

although New Zealand’s 

reputation as a safe and welcoming 

destination has improved, it has 

lost its market advantage in this 

aspect. Currently, 80 per cent 

of respondents consider New 

Zealand safe and stable, whereas 

countries like Australia, Canada, 

and the UK are perceived as safer 

and more stable options. 

Since reopening borders in 

August 2022, the number of 

international student visa holders 

in New Zealand has almost 

doubled. 

As of March 2023, there 

were approximately 34,000 visa 

holders, representing a 98 per 

cent increase.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

“We cannot solve problems with the kind of thinking we 

employed when we came up with them.” 

— Albert Einstein 

Editorial 

Fog cannons 

only obscure 

the real issue 

Labour can’t see the wood for the trees. It seems to be lost in a forest of 

ineffective policies while the trees of crime continue to grow unchecked. 

Despite the alarming rise in ram raids and brazenly violent offences, 

many of them with the use of lethal arms, the government persists in 

employing band-aid solutions that defy all logic. 

The police minister has recently attributed this spike in violence to the fact 

that the past 15 years have witnessed an increase in domestic and family 

violence, resulting in the child victims, who witnessed those undesirable 

incidents played out in their homes day in and day out, having normalised 

violence in their lives and turned into perpetrators of street violence and ram 

raids. While this may be true to an extent, it is no excuse for any leniency in 

addressing the issue. 

In response to the rising crime graph, the government recently announced 

an additional $11 million in funding for more fog cannons. But let’s pause 

and reflect on the situation. If the 500 fog cannons that were installed in 

2019, funded by hardworking taxpayers, failed to deter crime and if crime 

rates have only intensified since then, what are these new 500 fog cannons 

supposed to achieve? 

According to the current police minister, up to 3,000 fog cannons will be 

installed, all at the expense of the taxpayers. Why is the government pouring 

more money into fog cannons instead of cracking down on the real underlying 

issue: repeat offending by both youth and adult criminals, which demands 

appropriate punishment? 

The fog cannon saga persists because the government refuses to tackle the 

true root causes of crime. 

Fog cannons do little to prevent night-time ram raids or stop machetewielding 

individuals from ambushing unsuspecting victims. These devices 

often require human intervention to trigger them and it often takes time for 

the fog to build up especially if the area is large, rendering them ineffective 

in moments of crisis. 

Experience tells us that most aggravated robberies involve criminals swiftly 

targeting retail workers behind the counters. 

Criminals are well aware that if the fog cannon is not activated, they will 

have more time to loot the establishment. Consequently, their actions become 

increasingly cruel and aggressive. 

This is an undeniable fact that victimised dairy and liquor store owners have 

repeatedly alluded to. 

While fog cannons may offer some level of deterrence, they are by no 

means a standalone solution. 

They are not the proverbial lightning strike that guarantees protection 

within a store. Yet, for over four years, this government has fixated on issuing 

fog cannons instead of addressing the core issues at hand. 

It is high time the Labour government redirects its attention and resources 

toward implementing effective measures. 

We need a comprehensive crackdown on repeat offenders, both young 

and old, ensuring they face appropriate consequences for their actions. It is 

through such decisive action that we can truly combat the rising tide of crime. 

While the government may claim fog cannons contribute to public safety, 

they are merely a smokescreen deflecting attention from the real problem. 

Let us prioritise the safety of our communities by investing in meaningful 

solutions rather than wasting millions on fog cannons that provide a false 

sense of security. 

The Labour government must finally recognise that it is vital they deal with 

the real underlying issue that is encouraging and propelling recidivist violent 

crime, especially among ‘underage’ people: weak legislation that ties the 

hands of both the judiciary and the executive. Police have often expressed 

their helplessness in being unable to deal with the situation. 

The problem lies squarely at the doorstep of the lawmakers to deal with. 

Nothing will happen if they do not get into it and enact stricter laws. 

Let us not allow the fog cannon to blind us to the real issue. 

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week 

Indian President Droupadi Murmu receives Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at 

Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday. 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

2 June 1917 

New Zealand steamer captured by the Wolf 

The steamer Wairuna, en route from Auckland to San Francisco, was captured by the 

German raider SMS Wolf and later sunk near the Kermadec Islands. The crew was 

taken prisoner. 


University of Otago founded 

Governor George Bowen gave his assent to the Otago Provincial Council’s University 

of Otago Ordinance, enabling the establishment of New Zealand’s first university. 


First women enter police training 

Calls for policewomen had been made since the 1930s, when the National Council of 

Women started lobbying for women officers. 


Rail tragedy at Hyde 

The Cromwell–Dunedin express, travelling at speed, derailed while rounding a curve 

near Hyde in Central Otago. Twenty-one of the 113 passengers on board were killed 

and 47 injured in what was then New Zealand’s worst rail accident. 


Auckland Savings Bank opens for business 

The New Zealand Banking Company, Auckland’s first bank, had been wound up two 

years earlier. 


New Zealand’s first wind farm becomes operational 

Commissioned by Genesis Energy, New Zealand’s first commercial wind farm opened 

in the windy hills of Wairarapa. . 


New Zealand goes nuclear-free 

The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act was passed 

into law, establishing this country as a nuclear and biological weapon-free zone. 

Indian Weekender : Volume 15 Issue 10 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

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Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz 

Auckland Reporter: Navdeep Kaur Marwah: | 021 952 246 | navdeep@indianweekender.co.nz 

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is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication 

Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent 

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender 

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this is living

14 

FIJI 

As Fiji commemorated Ratu Sir 

Lala Sukuna Day this week, Prime 

Minister Sitiveni Rabuka paid 

tribute to the legacy of the Fijian leader, 

highlighting his profound understanding 

of the vital role played by the Indo-Fijian 

community. 

Rabuka stressed that Ratu Sukuna also 

acknowledged the immense contributions 

made by the descendants of Girmitiyas, 

many of whom were farmers, and their 

connection to the land. 

Reflecting on Ratu Sukuna’s address 

to the Legislative Council in October 

1933, Rabuka recalled the high chief’s 

resounding acknowledgement of the 

Indo-Fijian agricultural community as Fiji’s 

foremost sugar producers, forming the 

Visitor arrivals are expected 

to reach 2019 levels by 

the end of this year, the 

board of Reserve Bank of Fiji 

(RBF) said this week. 

RBF Governor and Board 

Chair Ariff Ali said latest 

macroeconomic indicators reveal 

Fiji continues to recover on the 

back of a strengthening tourism 

industry and its positive domino 

effect on related sectors. 

He added it is anticipated 

there will be more visitor arrivals 

following the better-thanexpected 

arrivals in the year to 

April, which was higher than the 

corresponding 2019 level by 1.4 

per cent. 

He says strong consumption 

activity to date has been 

supported by increased income 

from higher employment 

and the steady growth in 

personal remittances and new 

consumption loans. 

Investment activity continues 

to recover at a moderate pace 

proxied by the pick-up in new 

lending to both the real estate 

and building and construction 

sectors. 

The RBF governor said banking 

system liquidity sufficiently 

stands at $2.3 million, keeping 

outstanding rates at historic low 

levels and new rates competitive 

enough to drive private sector 


credit growth in April. 

He said RBF’s board 

acknowledged that growth in 

the Fijian economy is likely to be 

higher than what was projected 

in November last year. 

Fiji’s inflation continues to be 

underpinned largely by imported 

inflation and mainly in the food 

and energy categories. 

He said foreign reserves remain 

at comfortable levels, at $3.3m, 

and enough to cover nearly six 

months of retained imports of 

goods and services, and are 

projected to be adequate in the 

medium term. 

He said the board has decided 

to maintain the Overnight Policy 

Rate at 0.25 per cent. 


Rabuka recognises Indo-Fijian community 

FBC 

backbone of the country’s largest and 

most stable industry. 

In his speech, he said Ratu 

The Australian government 

has pledged more than 

$80 million in additional 

grants towards Fiji Sustainable 

Growth and Resilient Budget 

Support Programme. 

The cabinet recently approved 

the funding arrangement with 

the Australian government. 

For the last three fiscal years, 

the Australian government has 

contributed more than $273.8m 

to the Fiji government towards 

the programme, to assist with 

Fiji’s economic recovery from the 

impacts of Covid-19. 

This grant funding will be 

facilitated and finalised through 

the execution of the arrangement 

approved by the cabinet. 

Sukuna had acclaimed the Girmitiya 

descendants’ remarkable ability to 

India to build a 100-bed superspeciality hospital in Fiji 

The Indian government 

has committed to build a 

100 bed super speciality 

hospital in Fiji that will also 

benefit the people of the Pacific. 

Acting Prime Minister and 

Minister for Finance, Professor 

Biman Prasad says discussions 

began when the Indian Minister of 

External Affairs Subrahmanyam 

Jaishankar visited Fiji in February 

this year with the Indian Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi making 

the announcement in Papua New 

Guinea last week. 

Professor Prasad says he 

More 

funding 

for budget 

support 

programme 

Professor Biman Prasad and Indian Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar during an earlier meeting 

in New Delhi. 

cannot confirm when and how 

this will be done as Prime 

Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is 

currently in Samoa. 

The Acting Prime Minister says 

India will build the hospital, it will 

be staffed by the people of India 

and they will run it for a while and 

will also provide the equipment. 

He says this is not only a 

significant announcement 

for Fiji but for the Pacific as 

well as Pacific Islanders travel 

to Fiji and India for various 

medical treatments. 

International Institute for Democracy and 

Electoral Assistance and FEO re-establish ties 

The International Institute for 

Democracy and Electoral Assistance 

looks forward to supporting the Fijian 

Elections Office after signing a Memorandum 

of Understanding in Canberra, Australia to reestablish 

ties between the two organizations. 

Both institutions are pleased to continue 

their relationship after a brief interruption 

since November 2021. 

IDEA especially commends the Acting 

Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa for 

her endorsement of the Institute’s “Political 

Finance Assessment of Fiji” report, released 

in 2021, which the FEO will utilise in its 

forthcoming engagement with the country’s 

political parties. 

The study is part of a larger International 

IDEA initiative to review political finance 

systems in selected countries to advance 

an evidence-based global policy debate on 

money in politics. 

Mataiciwa says the FEO is grateful to IDEA 

and the signing of the MoU will fulfill and 

complement the FEO’s approach in organising 

more consultations with its stakeholders 

moving forward. 

IDEA’s Regional Director for Asia and the 

Pacific Leena Rikkilä Tamang says signing 

this MoU marks a new beginning in their longstanding 

co-operation. 

Tamang says it is also very timely in view 

of the post electoral review of the December 

2022 elections, and the ongoing preparations 

for the local government elections. 

Fiji tourism on recovery path: Central bank 

Tourists arriving in the country. [File Photo] 

The RBF governor 

said banking system 

liquidity sufficiently 

stands at $2.3 million, 

keeping outstanding 

rates at historic low 

levels and new rates 

competitive enough 

to drive private sector 

credit growth in April. 

Ratu Sukuna had acclaimed 

the Girmitiya descendants’ 

remarkable ability to 

overcome numerous obstacles 

through individual effort 

in agriculture, serving as a 

powerful testament to their 

determination and resilience. 

overcome numerous obstacles through 

individual effort in agriculture, serving 

as a powerful testament to their 

determination and resilience. 

Rabuka echoed these sentiments, 

emphasising the Indo-Fijian community 

was undeniably a tremendous economic 

asset to the colony, and their aspirations 

and interests held immense significance for 

all. As a member of the Council of Chiefs, 

Ratu Sukuna had asserted the Indo-Fijian 

community’s yearning for more permanent 

tenancy was a natural and legitimate 

consequence of their settlement in any 

country. 

Fijian economy 

expected to 

increase by 8% 

in 2023: Ali 

The growth projection for 

the Fijian economy in 

2023 is revised upward to 

8.0 percent from the 6.0 percent 

envisaged in November 2022. 

Reserve Bank of Fiji Governor 

and the Chairman of the the 

Macroeconomic Committee 

Ariff Ali says the key sectors 

contributing to the upward 

growth projection are the 

accommodation and food 

services, transport and storage, 

agriculture, manufacturing, 

wholesale and retail sales, finance 

and insurance, administrative 

services, construction and net 

indirect taxes. 

Ali says for 2022, given the 

better-than-expected rebound 

in tourism and related sectors, 

the Fijian economy is estimated 

to have grown by 18.6 percent, 

higher than the 15.6 percent 

previously projected. 

He adds the service sector and 

net indirect taxes contributed 

the most to the revised growth 

estimate. 

In 2024 and 2025, Fiji’s 

economy is forecast to return to 

the pre-pandemic trend and grow 

by 3.8 percent and 3.0 percent, 

respectively. 

Ali says despite the upward 

revision to the growth projection 

for this year, risks to the outlook 

are tilted to the downside. 

He says the global headwinds 

are from the continued 

geopolitical tensions, rapid 

interest rate hikes in advanced 

economies and the possibility of 

global recession. 

Ali adds domestic headwinds 

include uncertainty surrounding 

tax policies and the extent 

of fiscal consolidation in the 

upcoming national budget, high 

emigration, climate change, and 

natural disasters.


INDIA 15 

India’s image changed from colonial to 

self-reliant in 9 years: Jyotiraditya Scindia 

the Modi government has given 

everything to the country which 

Lauding the Bharatiya Janata Party-led 

central government upon completion 

of nine years in office, Union Civil 

Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia this 

week said during this period India’s image 

has changed from “colonial to self-reliant”. 

Listing out the achievements of the Modi 

government in nine years, Scindia said at a 

press conference, “In the last nine years, 

our government has not only connected 

the deprived people with the mainstream 

but has also empowered them.” 

He added, “Today India is the fastest 

growing economy with the number one 

smartphone data consumer, the second 

largest mobile manufacturer, the number 

one global fintech adoption rate and the 

third largest start-up ecosystem in the 

world,” he added. 

Scindia said India’s image has changed 

from colonial to self-reliant ever since 

the Modi government took office. “The 

Odisha launches 

artificial 

intelligence 

initiative 

Odisha Chief Minister 

Naveen Patnaik launched 

the ‘Odisha for Artificial 

Intelligence’ and ‘Artificial 

Intelligence for Youth’ initiatives 

earlier this week in the state 

capital. 

The state government 

has roped in an international 

technology company for the 

initiative. In the first phase, the 

initiative will be implemented in 

Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack. 

Odisha for AI is a free four-hour 

course on AI by Intel on its app 

and website. It will be open to all 

for free in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, 

and Puri and will be open to all in 

Odisha eventually. 

AI for youth is for students 

under the age of 18 years 

studying at the 2,000 5T schools 

of Phase1 and Odisha Adarsh 

Vidyalayas. 

Speaking on the occasion, 

Patnaik said Artificial Intelligence 

(AI) holds incredible potential 

to reshape our world and drive 

progress. Stating his government 

has focused on technologydriven 

transformation, which is 

one of the key components of 

the government’s 5-T initiative, 

he assured the initiative will 

augment digital literacy among 

the masses, and make them 

familiar with the next-generation 

cutting-edge technology. 

“It will also create an ecosystem 

of fostering research, innovation 

and application across sectors,” 

he added. 

Indian Space Research 

Organisation (ISRO) Chairman 

S Somnath this week said 

Chandrayaan-3, the third 

edition of India’s mission 

to the moon, will be 

launched this July. 

Chandrayaan-3 is 

a follow-on mission 

to Chandrayaan-2, to 

demonstrate end-toend 

capability in safe 

landing and roving on 

the lunar surface. 

“I am very confident...” 

said Somnath regarding the 

lunar mission. The ISRO chairman 

was speaking after the space 

agency successfully placed 

NVS-01, the first of the secondgeneration 

satellite series, into 

geosynchronous transfer orbit. 

The Geosynchronous Satellite 

Launch Vehicle deployed the 

NVS-01 navigation satellite 

from the second launch pad at 

Satish Dhawan Space Centre in 

Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. 

Speaking to ANI, Somanath 

said, “The lesson is very simple. 

Learn from the past, and do what 

is possible with your capacity. 

Failures may happen. There are 

a thousand reasons for a rocket 

to fail. Even today, this mission 

could have failed. But we have to 

do what is needed to be done”. 

The Chandrayaan-3 mission 

consists of an indigenous lander 

module, a propulsion module 

and a rover with an objective of 

developing and demonstrating 

new technologies required for 

inter-planetary missions. 

According to ISRO, the 

three mission objectives 

of Chandrayaan-3 are: to 

demonstrate safe and soft 

landing on lunar surface, to 

demonstrate rover roving on the 

moon, and to conduct in-situ 

scientific experiments. 

It will be launched by the LVM3 

rocket. The propulsion module 

will carry the lander and rover 

configuration till 100km lunar 

orbit, according to ISRO. 

The propulsion module has 

spectro-polarimetry of Habitable 

Planet Earth payload to study 

the spectral and Polari metric 

measurements of Earth from the 

lunar orbit. 

The lander will have the 

capability to soft land at a 

specified lunar site and deploy 

the rover, which will carry out 

in-situ chemical analysis of the 

lunar surface during the course 

of its mobility. The lander and 

the rover have scientific payloads 

to carry out experiments on the 

lunar surface. 

The main function of the 

propulsion module is to carry 

the lander module from launch 

vehicle injection till the 100-km 

circular polar orbit, and separate 

the lander module from the 

propulsion module. 

The Chandrayaan is an ongoing 

series of lunar space exploration 

programmes by the ISRO. 

Chandrayaan-1, the first lunar 

probe in 2008-09, found water 

on the moon. Chandrayaan-2 

was launched in July 2019 and 

successfully inserted into orbit in 

August 2019. However, minutes 

later the lander crashed after 

losing communication with the 

ground stations. 

Himalayan herbs at risk due to rain, snowfall in Uttarakhand 

Untimely rain and snowfall bring 

respite from sweltering heat, but 

the weather events also put rare 

Himalayan herbs at risk, say experts. 

Scientists have expressed concern if this 

phenomenon continues for a few more 

days, many valuable herbs might reach the 

verge of extinction. 

According to Director of High Peak 

Plant Research Centre, Professor MC 

Nautiyal, the Himalaya has for ages been 

a storehouse of herbs that are rich in 

new Parliament House of India has not 

only adopted modernity but it is an 

amalgamation of ancient culture and 

civilisation,” he said. 

Scindia pointed out the prime minister 

has worked to take the country 

forward on the basis of heritage and an 

example of the same is the grand Ram 

temple in Ayodhya. 

“During the tenure of the last nine years, 

medicinal properties. “The effect of climate 

change is being observed on these herbs. 

The rain and snowfall in the high Himalayan 

regions in the month of May are a sign 

“In 

the last 

nine years, our 

government has not 

only connected the 

deprived people 

with the mainstream 

but has also 

empowered 

them.” 

we could never have imagined,” 

said Scindia. 

“The basis of Sabka Saath- 

Sabka Vikas, the work of giving 

10 per cent reservation on an 

economic basis was done for 

social development. We will start 

400 Vande Bharat trains out of 

which 20 have already started. In 68 

years of Independence, 74 airports were 

built, whereas in nine years of Prime Minister 

Modi’s government, 74 new airports have 

been built,” Scindia noted. He also lauded 

the growing highways network across the 

country, pointing to the scale and pace of 

construction. “Earlier, the highways which 

were built [at the rate of] 12 kilometres 

per day have increased three times today. 

Metro expansion in 15 cities in nine years, 

700 new medical colleges, 15 new AIIMS, 

“I am confident…”: ISRO Chairman 

Somanath on Chandrayaan-3 launch date 

Chandrayaan-3 successfully undergoes Integrated Module Dynamic Tests 

of danger for medicinal plants,” he says. 

Nautiyal adds that lately snowfall, rain 

and hailstorm have brought the April-May 

temperature in the region considerably 

down, due to which the growth of these 

medicinal plants is slowing down. 

Dr Vijaykant Purohit, scientist at High 

Peak Plant Research Centre, said if the 

growth of these herbs remains slow, 

the process of seed formation will also 

be reduced. This deepens the crisis of 

medicinal herbs. “Farmers cultivating 

seven new IITs, seven new IIMs and the 

work of making 390 new universities have 

been done,” Scindia added. 

Highlighting the government’s focus 

on farmers’ issue, Scindia said, “For 

the development of farmers, under the 

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, the 

central government has done the historic 

task of disbursing 2.25 lakh crore [Indian 

rupees] to the accounts of 11 crore 

farmers.” 

The union minister also mentioned 

India’s generous vaccine policy during the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

“There was a time when we had seen this 

India pleading for the vaccine and today 

the same India did the work of saving 

lives by giving 220 crore vaccines not 

only to the countrymen but also to more 

than 100 other countries by exporting 

‘Made in India’ vaccine during the Covid 

period,” he added. 

Military 

wargames to 

include all three 

defence forces 

Amid efforts by the 

government to enhance 

integration and jointness 

among the three defence 

services, it has been decided 

that all war games carried out by 

services must include elements 

from all three armed forces, 

according to officials. At present, 

exercises that are conducted 

individually by the respective 

services include their elements 

only but from now on, they will 

include elements from all three 

services, defence officials told 

ANI. The first major exercise 

that will include elements from 

all three services is expected 

to be the Vayu Shakti exercise 

scheduled for 2024 by the 

Indian Air Force, officials said. 

The exercises till now included 

participants only from the Indian 

Air Force, but now it will involve 

members from the Indian Army 

and the Indian Navy as well. 

The instructions in this 

regard have been issued by 

the Department of Military 

Affairs under the Chief of 

Defence Staff (CDS). The CDS, 

who would be reviewing the 

passing-out parade of National 

Defence Academy, has been 

working towards the creation 

of the theatre commands. The 

government created the new 

post of CDS to improve synergy 

among the defence forces, which 

have 17 operational commands 

headed by commander-in-chief 

rank officers. 

these herbs will be affected the most. The 

valuable wealth of the Himalayas will also 

reach the verge of extinction,” he said. 

Earlier this week, India Meteorological 

Department issued an orange alert for 

Uttarakhand, predicting the possibility of 

rain and hailstorm in the higher reaches 

of the state, beside rain and thunder 

in the plains. Heavy rains are predicted 

in Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag 

and light rain in Bageshwar, Almora and 

Pithoragarh.

16 

WORLD 

Jaishankar, UK minister 

discuss FTA, Indo-Pacific 

Indian External Affairs Minister 

S Jaishankar met UK’s 

Minister of State for Foreign, 

Commonwealth & Development 

Office Lord Tariq Ahmad this 

week and discussed a range 

of issues, including Free Trade 

Agreement (FTA), Indo-Pacific 

and G20. 

“Met with UK MOS Lord @ 

tariqahmadbt today in New Delhi. 

Discussed a broad range of issues, 

from FTA and South Asia to Indo- 

Pacific and G20. Underlined the 

obligation to ensure security 

of our diplomatic missions and 

prevent misuse of democratic 

freedoms,” Jaishankar said in 

a tweet. The UK and India are 

working towards a mutually 

beneficial FTA. The ninth round 

of negotiations between India 

and the UK was held April 24-28. 

Ahmad landed in India on May 27, 

and travelled to Jodhpur soon 

after. 

“...I arrived in Jodhpur, my 

maternal ancestral home. 76 

India, Singapore agree 

to create lifelong 

learning opportunities 

India and Singapore agreed to creating 

opportunities for lifelong learning and building 

a future-ready workforce during Dharmendra 

Pradhan’s visit to the city-state this week. 

During his three-day visit, India’s education 

minister day met the island country’s Deputy Prime 

Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on 

strengthening cooperation between the two 

countries, with a focus on deepening engagements 

in skill development. 

“Pleasure meeting DPM & Minister for Finance, 

Singapore, @LawrenceWongST. Fruitful discussions 

on strengthening the existing cooperation between 

India and Singapore and deepening engagements 

in skill development as well as technical and 

vocational education,” Pradhan tweeted. 

He further added, “The emerging future is a 

world of unlimited opportunities. 

Both DPM @LawrenceWongST and I agreed 

to work together for mutual benefit, create 

opportunities for lifelong learning, build a futureready 

workforce and also to make knowledge 

and skill development a key pillar of our 

strategic partnership.” 

During the meeting, Pradhan said under the 

leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the 

government launched the National Education 

Policy (NEP) in 2020, which focuses on providing 

early exposure to vocational education in middle 

The Pakistani-American 

community is planning a 

bipartisan meeting of US 

lawmakers in June to highlight 

the political chaos in Pakistan, 

Dawn newspaper has reported. 

Taking to Twitter, California 

Democrat Asif Mahmood, who 

initiated the move, said, “The 

situation is getting worse by the 

day and it’s beyond the scope of 

only letters and tweets.” 

He added, “We have to move 

to the next step: Conference/ 

hearing at Capitol Hill cosponsored 

by Rep Brad Sherman, Rep Jim 

Costa and me in the 3rd week of 

June,” he added. 

The purpose of this hearing, 

and other similar efforts, “is to 

curtail these atrocities by raising 

UK's Minister of State at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Tariq Ahmad meets 

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. 

years after my mother bid 

farewell to the Blue City I say 

‘Salaam Jodhpur- Namaste 

Rajasthan’,” he said in a tweet. 

“Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort 

is steeped in a rich and diverse 

history. Pleasure touring the 

fort today to learn more about 

its architecture, restoration and 

conservation work,” he added. 

The UK government said 

Ahmad’s visit, focused on science, 

technology and innovation, 

those at the highest levels or 

they will never stop”, Mahmood 

added. Earlier, Mahmood 

was the one who initiated a 

letter demanding unfettered 

democracy in Pakistan, sent to 

US Secretary of State Antony 

emphasises its commitment to 

deepening partnerships in these 

areas across the globe, evidenced 

by the recent announcement 

of a new Tech Envoy to the 

Indo-Pacific. 

“Strengthening the UK-India 

relationship is a key pillar of 

the UK’s long-term foreign 

policy, as part of its enduring 

engagement in the Indo-Pacific 

set out in the Integrated Review 

Refresh,” it said. 

schools, ensuring the market relevance of training 

as well as building the capacity of institutions to 

provide technical and vocational education. 

He further highlighted the government is 

working towards integrating the skills qualifications 

framework with the higher education qualification 

framework, and also investing in developing shortterm 

and long-term training programmes to provide 

skilling, re-skilling and upskilling opportunities. 

The minister stressed on learning best practices 

from Singapore, and collaborating and customising 

them to meet Indian needs. 

An official said the ministers had fruitful 

conversations on strengthening skill development 

and vocational training linkages through all 

mechanisms for creating a seamless architecture 

for skilling and lifelong learning. 

Blinken in May with signatures 

from 69 lawmakers. He now plans 

to send another letter to Blinken, 

signed by prominent US senators, 

according to Dawn. 

Mahmood has also launched a 

campaign to draw attention to 

Friday, 26 May, 2023 

Indian Defence Minister 

Rajnath Singh, who was on a 

three-day visit to Nigeria this 

week, met Bangladesh’s Local 

Government, Rural Development 

and Cooperative Minister Md 

Tazul Islam in Abuja. 

The two held discussions on 

several issues and expressed the 

commitment of their respective 

governments towards further 

expanding and strengthening 

bilateral ties. The meeting was 

a testament of the goodwill 

between India and Bangladesh, 

an official statement read. 

Following the meeting, Singh 

tweeted, “Wonderful interaction 

with the Minister for Local 

Government, Rural Development 

and Cooperative of Bangladesh, 

Mr Md Tazul Islam in Abuja.” 

During his trip, Singh also 

attended the swearing-in 

ceremony of President-elect of 

Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In 

addition to senior officials of 

the defence ministry, Singh’s 

delegation to Nigeria included 

top executives of Hindustan 

Aeronautics Limited (HAL) 

and Goa Shipyard Limited 

(GSL), according to an official 

statement. 

Indian naval ship INS Delhi 

arrived at Port Klang in 

Malaysia this week for three 

days as part of the Indian Navy’s 

Eastern Fleet deployment to 

ASEAN countries. INS Delhi made 

the port call from May 29 to May 

31. The Association of Southeast 

Asian Nations, or ASEAN, is a 

political and economic union of 

10 Southeast Asian nations. The 

visit of the Indian Naval vessel 

will see personnel from both 

navies engaging in professional 

and social interactions. 

“Indigenously designed & 

built #INSDelhi, arrived at Port 

Klang, #Malaysia. The port 

call from 29-31 May 23 is 

part of #IndianNavy’s Eastern 

Fleet deployment to #ASEAN 

countries. #BridgesofFriendship,” 

the official handle of the Indian 

Navy wrote on Twitter. 

“The visit will see personnel 

from both navies engaging in 

professional & social interactions 

consolidating the strong bonds 

of friendship between #India and 

#Malaysia,” the tweet added. 

INS Delhi is India’s first 

the ‘mysterious disappearance’ 

of journalist Imran Riaz Khan 

and the arrest and solitary 

confinement of Khadija Shah. 

This week, the chairperson of 

the Pakistan caucus in Congress, 

Sheila Jackson Lee also joined the 

lawmakers in expressing concern 

at reported human rights abuses 

in Pakistan. 

“As the founder and chair of 

the ... Congressional Pakistan 

caucus, I am extremely concerned 

about these reports, particularly 

about the moves directed at the 

former Pakistani prime minister,” 

she said. Atif Khan, a PTI leader 

from Texas, told Dawn his party 

plans to gather 5,000 to 10,000 

people in Washington next 

month to “show our support to 


These executives met with 

military and government 

personnel from Nigeria in order to 

determine what needs they had 

that Indian defence businesses 

could meet. To improve 

cooperation, B2B meetings 

were organised with Nigerian 

businesses. 

Besides high-level political 

representation from countries 

across Africa, India was among 

the select non-African nations 

that were represented at the 

‘swearing-in ceremony’ at the 

ministerial level, reflecting the 

high priority and strength of 

India’s bilateral relations with 

Nigeria, the defence ministry said 

in a statement. 

indigenously-built guided missile 

destroyer. The ship is equipped 

with various weapons and 

sensors and can carry multi-role 

helicopters. Meanwhile, on May 

28, Indian Navy’s P-8I aircraft 

from INS Hansa undertook 

a maiden landing at Bahrain 

International Airport to participate 

in Operation Compass Rose. 

“P-8I aircraft from #INSHansa 

undertook a maiden landing at 

Bahrain International Airport to 

participate in Operation Compass 

Rose, as part of Combined 

Maritime Force (CMF), followed by 

interaction with representatives 

of participating countries,” the 

official Twitter account of the 

Western Naval Command of 

Indian Navy tweeted. “Cdr Amit 

Mohapatra, Commanding Officer, 

P-8I Squadron called on HE 

Piyush Srivastava, Ambassador 

of India the Kingdom of Bahrain. 

He also met VAdm Brad Cooper, 

Commander CMF, for discussions 

on joint operations in the areas 

of interest,” the Western Naval 

Command added. 

Pakistani-American community plans meeting of US lawmakers to highlight political chaos 

This image shared by the PTI on May 22 shows protesters gathered at Lafayette Square in 

front of White House in Washington. (Twitter) 

Rajnath meets Bangladesh minister, 

discusses strengthening bilateral ties 

INS Delhi makes port call in Malaysia 

democracy in Pakistan”. Leaders 

of the Pakistani community, 

however, point out that as the 

community grows its roots 

in the US, it has increased its 

participation in American politics 

as well, reported Dawn. 

“These people are here to 

stay. Now, they will have a say in 

every major issue,” said another 

scholar, Arif Jamal, adding, “The 

Pakistani government will have to 

learn to deal with them.” 

The arrest of Imran Khan 

on May 9, 2023, resulted in 

mayhem across Pakistan, as 

army installations were attacked 

by PTI supporters resulting in 

political chaos and subsequent 

crackdown by Pakistani army on 

Imran Khan’s party.


ENTERTAINMENT 17 

Birthday special: Paresh 

Rawal’s best comic characters 

With nearly every comic performance, 

both Jeetu and Bandya at Prabhat’s house as 

actor Paresh Rawal has never 

a guarantee till he returns the money. 

failed to make audience laugh. The 

versatile actor made his Bollywood debut 

as a supporting character in the 1985 film 

‘Arjun’. ‘Naam’, a 1986 hit, was the film that 

made him famous. Throughout his career, the 

actor has delivered a number of box office 

hits, with some of his characters becoming 

iconic. On the occasion of his birthday on 

May 30, here’s a look at a few of his most 

memorable comic characters. 

Babu Bhaiya from ‘Hera Pheri’ 

Paresh Rawal excelled in his portrayal as 

Babu Bhaiya in the ‘Hera Pheri’ franchise. 

He portrayed Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, a 

middle-aged figure. Akshay Kumar, Suneil 

Shetty and Tabu appeared in the film. He 

simply dominated the role, and we can’t think 

of another actor who could do the character 

more justice. His comedy timing and antics 

made everyone laugh. And no matter how 

many times you watch his videos, Baburao 

never fails to make you laugh. 

Teja from ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ 

In Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, 

Paresh Rawal played a double role. Ram Gopal 

Bajaj was one, while his wicked twin Teja was 

the other character. Teja kidnaps his own 

“Keep our flag high”: AR Rahman on Indian music being recognised globally 

Music maestro AR Rahman is one of 

those Indian artists who has shown 

the world what Indian musicians can 

do. Last week, Rahman rooted for all Indian 

artists and urged them to always keep the 

Indian flag high. 

“It’s great. We should ride on the 

momentum...A lot of other countries have 

global singers and they keep up with it. 

All the artists involved should keep up the 

work & keep our flag high. There are so many 

singers in India with amazing talent, and 

they are coming up with their own original 

content,” Rahman said on the sidelines of IIFA 

2023. 

The year 2023 will always remain special 

brother in order to get all of his fortunes 

and dupes everyone into believing he is Ram. 

However, in the climax, this causes major 

confusion, with everyone unable to figure 

out who Teja is. Not only did Paresh nail the 

dual part, but he also made the scenario 

humorous, which was one of the best aspects 

of this cult classic. 

Dr. Ghungroo from ‘Welcome’ 

This is one of the star’s best comedy roles 

after ‘Hera Pheri’. Paresh Rawal plays Akshay 

Kumar’s maternal uncle in the film. He has 

an amazing chemistry with Nana Patekar and 

Anil Kapoor. He plays Dr. Ghungroo in the 

Anees Bazmee comedy, a guy passionate 

about finding a good girl for his nephew Rajiv 

(Akshay Kumar). After nearly giving up, he 

finally gets an alliance for his nephew, but 

ends up getting a girl who is the sister of an 

underworld don. 

Gundya from ‘Chup Chup Ke’ 

The film stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena 

Kapoor, with Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav 

providing strong backing. He pretends to be 

Jeetu’s (Shahid) mama Gundya, who rescues 

him and misidentifies him as mute. Gundya 

owes money to a Gujarati businessman who 

steals his yacht. Gundya deceives Prabhat 

into believing Jeetu is his nephew and leaves 

for the Indian music industry, as RRR’s ‘Naatu 

Naatu’ track scripted history at Oscars by 

winning the Best Original Song. 

Kanji Lalji Mehta from ‘Oh My God’ 

‘Oh My God!’ is a 2012 satirical comedydrama 

film written and directed by Umesh 

Shukla. Paresh Rawal is an excellent choice 

for the part of an atheist. The plot centres 

around an idol-seller whose shop is impacted 

by an earthquake. Kanji Lalji Mehta sues God 

for his losses, intending to obtain insurance. 

Akshay Kumar and Mithun Chakraborthy also 

appear in the film. 

Lambodhar Chacha from 

‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge’ 

While Paresh Rawal’s performance as an 

unwanted guest had everyone in splits, the 

climax had everyone in tears. In the film, he 

played the character of Lambodhar Chacha, 

who upsets his hosts’ entire lives. Ajay 

Devgn and Konkona Sen Sharma also acted in 

the film. He is known as Babu Bhaiya, and we 

all liked him in ‘Welcome’ and ‘Ready’ for his 

great comic timing, but don’t forget Paresh 

has also played the antagonist to perfection 

in several films. The actor has made his place 

in the entertainment industry and will surely 

continue to entertain audiences with his 

amazing acting skills. (ANI) 

Earlier in April, South Korean 

Foreign Minister Park Jin talked 

about how people in South 

Korea are fan of ‘Naatu 

Naatu’. 

in had told ANI: “You 

know, ‘Naatu Naatu’ dance 

is really popular in Korea. 

I saw the movie myself, 

‘Rise Roar Revolt’ which is 

a fantastic movie…and also 

the story. I think it was an 

extraordinary story about the Indian 

people and history and I’m very glad that our 

Korean embassy has taken special attention 

to ‘Naatu Naatu’ and this movie.” (ANI) 

Actor Randeep Hooda is all 

set to portray freedom 

fighter Vinayak Damodar 

Savarkar in the movie ‘Swatantrya 

Veer Savarkar’. Randeep also 

took to his Twitter handle and 

wrote in the caption, “The most 

wanted Indian by the British. The 

inspiration behind revolutionaries 

like - Netaji Subhash Chandra 

Bose, Bhagat Singh & Khudiram 

Bose. Who was #VeerSavarkar? 

Watch his true story unfold! 

Presenting @RandeepHoodain & 

as #SwantantryaVeerSavarkar In 

Cinemas 2023.” 

After his post, many of his 

fans congratulated the actor for 

bringing the life of a revolutionary 

leader on-screen. One of his fans 

wrote, “Perfect choice for this 

role.” Another said, “This is Really 

Great. This movie is definitely 

going to be Blockbuster. Veer 

Savarkar Ji was a great Patriot.” 

The teaser for ‘Swatantrya 

Veer Savarkar’ was released on 

the 140th birth anniversary of 

the revolutionary leader. 

Randeep made his Bollywood 

debut with ‘Monsoon Wedding’, 

and got a lot of popularity with 

films like ‘Once Upon a Time 

in Mumbaai’, ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur 

Gangster’, ‘Rang Rasiya’, ‘Jism 2’ 

and many more. With ‘Swatantrya 

Veer Savarkar’, he is making his 

debut as a director. 

He wrote on social media, 

“Savarkar led an incredible life, 

and as I learned more about 

him while researching for my 

film, I have come to admire him 

tremendously. So it gives me 

immense pleasure to share a 

sneak peek into our film on his 

140th birthday.” 

Savarkar was a politician, 

activist and writer. He was 

a leading figure in Hindu 

Mahasabha. Savarkar entered 

politics as a high-school student, 

and continued doing so while 

attending Fergusson College in 

Pune. He became active in groups 

like India House and Free India 

Society while he was studying 

law in the United Kingdom. 

‘Biwi No.1’ completes 24 years, Sushmita Sen gets nostalgic 

Actor Sushmita Sen shared 

her thoughts to mark 24 

years of her film ‘Biwi 

No.1’ this week. 

Taking a stroll down the 

memory lane, Sushmita reshared 

stories from her fans on 

Instagram remembering the film. 

The comedy-drama was 

directed by David Dhawan and 

stars Salman Khan, Karisma 

Kapoor and Sushmita Sen in the 

lead roles. It also features Anil 

Kapoor, Tabu and Saif Ali Khan in 

supporting roles. 

The movie revolves around 

the life of Salman Khan as 

Prem, a successful businessman 

who is married to Pooja 

(Karisma Kapoor). 

Prem’s life takes a dramatic 

turn when he meets Rupali 

(Sushmita Sen), a glamorous 

model, and they begin an affair. 

Prem is unaware that Pooja 

knows about his infidelity, and 

she has decided to teach him a 

lesson by pretending to be an 

ideal wife while planning revenge. 

The plot unfolds with humorous 

and chaotic situations as Pooja 

disguises herself as a modern 

“It’s 

great. We 

should ride on the 

momentum...A lot of 

other countries have global 

singers and they keep 

up with it. All the artists 

involved should keep up 

the work & keep our 

flag high." 

woman named ‘Jhanvi’ and 

becomes a nanny in Rupali’s 

house. 

‘Biwi No. 1’ received a positive 

response from the audience and 

was the second highest-grossing 

film of Bollywood in 1999. 

The film’s soundtrack, 

composed by Anu Malik, became 

immensely popular, featuring hit 

songs like ‘Chunari Chunari’ and 

‘Mujhe Maaf Karna’. 

Meanwhile, on the work front, 

Sushmita will be next seen in 

the third season of the ‘Aarya’ 

franchisee, which will stream 

on the OTT platform 

Disney+ Hotstar. Apart 

from that, she also has 

‘Taali’ in her kitty, which 

is based on the life of 

transgender Shreegauri 

Sawant. 

She was one of 

the petitioners in the 

National Legal Services 

Authority case of 

2013, in connection 

with which the Supreme 

Court recognised 

transgenders as a third 

gender. 

Randeep 

Hooda 

depicts life 

of freedom 

fighter in 

‘Swatantrya 

Veer 

Savarkar’

18 FEATURE 


Healthy cooking every day 

Quinoa and corn griddle pancake 

Quinoa and Corn Griddle Pancake is a healthy and interesting recipe that you can make at home to show 

your culinary skills. This easy recipe is perfect for occasions like kitty parties, potlucks, birthdays, 

anniversaries or a surprise party for someone special. This pancake recipe is one such quick-fix which will 

relish your taste buds and satiate your soul with its refreshing quinoa and corn flavours. 

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup quinoa 

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth 

• 1/2 cup boiled American corn 

kernels 

• 1/4 cup shredded low fat 

mozzarella cheese 

• 2 tablespoon milk 

• 8 dashes virgin olive oil 

• 1/4 cup arugula 

• 1/2 cup water 

• 1 egg 

• 2 scallions 

• 1/4 cup wheat flour 

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• 1 avocados 

Method 

• Add quinoa, water and 

vegetable broth in a small 

saucepan, place it over a and mix properly. 

• Fry the pancakes in the skillet 

medium flame and let it boil. • Heat a large non-stick skillet just like kebabs for about 5 

Cover the pan with a lid and over medium flame. 

minutes. Flip carefully and fry 

simmer it for 15 minutes on • Add 1/4 cup of the quinoa the other side of the pancake 

low flame. 

mixture and flatten it with a for about 5-10 minutes 

• Add quinoa, egg, corn kernels, spatula to give it the shape of more. Garnish the pancake 

scallions, cheese, wheat flour, a pancake. Repeat the process with arugula leaves and serve 

milk, hot pepper sauce, and with the remaining quinoa with chopped avocado and 

black pepper in a medium bowl mixture. 

toppings of your choice. 

Homemade cake 

Ingredients 

• 3 cup all purpose flour 

• 2 beaten egg 

• 2 teaspoon baking soda 

• 2 teaspoon vanilla essence 

• 2 cup powdered sugar 

• 1 cup butter 

• 2 cup milk 

Method 

• If you think you can never make that perfect 

sponge cake, then try this simple recipe and you 

will surely become a master in rolling out the 

perfect homemade cake. 

• It is a simple recipe and you can begin by mixing 

sugar and butter together. Whisk well until light 

and fluffy. 

• Then, take a manual whisker or a fork, if you do 

not have one. 

• Even electrical blenders are good. Once done, 

add the beaten eggs and blend well. 

• Beat further so that the mixture gets a light, 

white appearance. 

• Sift together the maida and baking soda. It is 

done to evenly distribute the baking soda in flour. 

• Gradually add this to the egg mixture. If required 

add a little milk and mix till the batter is fluffy 

and soft. 

• Add vanilla essence and blend well. Vanilla 

essence is important to camouflage the smell of 

eggs. 

• Sprinkle some maida on a greased baking tin. It 

will prevent sticking of the cake to the base, you 

can also line it with a butter paper. 

Irish lamb stew 

Ingredients 

• 1 kilograms lamb 

• 8 carrot 

• salt as required 

• water as required 

• 10 large potato 

• 4 onion 

• black pepper as required 

For Garnishing 

• 1 stalk parsley 

Method 

• The first step is to prepare 

the vegetables. Chop the 

potatoes in quarter, the 

carrots in medium-sized pieces 

and roughly chop the onions. 

Also slice the lamb into small 

pieces. 

• Now, take a large pot and fill 

it with water, and place over 

high heat. 

• Add the meat and potato 

pieces in the pot and bring it 

to a boil. 

• Then add the chopped carrots 

and onions in the pot. 

• Keep the pot low flame and 

• Pour the prepared mixture into the tin and place 

it in a pressure cooker. 

• Do not add water in the cooker and ensure that 

the tin does not touch the base of cooker. You 

can keep the baking dish on an inverted steel 

plate. Increase the flame and pressure cook for 

two minutes. 

• Now remove the whistle and cook on low flame 

for 35-40 minutes. 

• If you are using an electric oven, cook at 180 

degrees for 30-35 minutes. 

• Insert a knife or a metal skewer into the cake and 

if it comes out clean, then the cake is ready to 

devour in. 

• Remove from the oven/cooker and allow to cool 

on a wire rack. 

cover the pot with a lid. Let it 

simmer, until the vegetables 

and the meat are cooked, and 

the gravy thickens. 

• Garnish with chopped parsley 

before serving. 

Lighter Takes 

& Easy Tips 


Grilled lemon and rosemary chicken 

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 tablespoon 

lemon juice 

• 1 1/2 tablespoon 

dijon mustard 

• 2 cloves garlic 

• powdered black 

pepper as 

required 

• 1 bunch arugula 

• 50 ml virgin olive 

oil 

• 1 1/2 tablespoon rosemary 

• kosher salt as required 

• 700 gm chicken cutlet 

• 1 lemon 

Method 

• In a large bowl, whisk together 

lemon juice, olive oil, dijon 

mustard, rosemary, garlic, 

kosher salt and black pepper 

powder. 

• In the same bowl add chicken 

cutlet pieces and leave it 

for marination at room te 

mperature. 

• Meanwhile, heat the grill to 

medium high. 

• Grease the grill grates using 

olive oil with the help of a 

brush. 

• Check for the marinated 

chicken now. 

• Remove the chicken from 

the marinate paste and place 

them on the grill. 

• Cook for 3-4 minutes till it 

cooks well from all the sides. 

• Place the lemon halves on the 

grill and let them cook. 

• Now, on a serving plate spread 

arugula leaves and place the 

grilled chicken on top if it. 

Now, squeeze the lemon juice 

on top of it and serve. 

Potato chip cookies 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup crushed potato wafers 

• 1 cup chocolate chips 

• 1 cup chopped mixed dry fruits 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

• 2 cup brown sugar 

• 1 teaspoon soda 

• 2 egg 

• 1 cup fresh cream 

For The Main Dish 

• 2 cup flour 

Method 

• To begin with this delicious 

recipe, take a bowl and add 

sugar, cream in it. 

• Beat the eggs onto it and mix 

it well. 

• Next, add soda, choco chips, 

vanilla essence, flour, dry 

fruits and potato chips to the 

mix. Mix it very well. 

• When the mixture is finally 

ready, pour the mixture 

carefully, by using a spoon, in 

the cookie plate. 

• Put the cookie plate inside 

Chicken broccoli 

Ingredients 

• 500 gm chopped chicken 

• 1 cup mayonnaise 

• 1 teaspoon curry powder 

• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs 

• 500 gm frozen broccoli 

• 1/2 cup skimmed milk 

• salt as required 

Method 

the oven and bake it at 180 

degrees for 15-20 minutes 

depending on your oven type. 

• Keep checking in between so 

that you do not burn your 

cookies. Once baked, take out 

the cookies from the oven and 

serve warm. 

• To prepare this recipe, boil 

chicken in saucepan over 

medium flame. 

• Then, place chicken, broccoli, 

and other ingredients into a 

casserole dish mixed together. 

• Cover it with a foil and bake 

in the oven at 375°F for 30 

minutes. Serve hot on rice and 

enjoy!


FEATURE 19 

Patterns of pre-existing brain health 

characteristics found in stroke patients 

Extensive research has helped identify 

risk factors for acute stroke, but 

there is still a lack of information on 

what stroke patients’ brains look like on a 

population level, according to a study. 

The results of the first large-scale 

assessment of radiographic brain health in 

stroke patients in a community were presented 

by University of Cincinnati researchers at 

European Stroke Organisation Conference 

(ESOC) 2023 recently in Germany. 

“Imaging can be an objective manifestation 

of the presence and severity of clinical 

factors such as diabetes, hypertension, high 

cholesterol and kidney failure,” Achala Vagal, 

professor of neuroradiology at UC said. 

Vagal was a co-principal investigator on 

the Assessing Population-based Radiological 

brain health in Stroke Epidemiology (APRISE) 

study that gained new information from 

New blood 

biomarker 

can predict 

Alzheimer’s 

disease: Study 

Why do some people get Alzheimer’s 

while others don’t? Even more 

perplexing, why do many people 

with toxic amyloid aggregates in their brains, 

a clear marker of Alzheimer’s brain pathology, 

never get Alzheimer’s-related dementias? 

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine 

researchers have found star-shaped brain 

cells called astrocytes are key to swaying the 

pendulum in Alzheimer’s disease progression, 

a game-changing finding that has been 

published in ‘Nature Medicine’. 

By testing the blood of more than 1,000 

cognitively-unimpaired elderly people with 

and without amyloid pathology, the Pitt-led 

research team found only those who had a 

combination of amyloid burden and blood 

markers of abnormal astrocyte activation, or 

reactivity, would progress to symptomatic 

Alzheimer’s in the future, a critical discovery 

for drug development aimed at halting 

progression. 

“Our study argues that testing for the 

presence of brain amyloid along with blood 

biomarkers of astrocyte reactivity is the 

optimal screening to identify patients who are 

most at risk for progressing to Alzheimer’s 

disease. This puts astrocytes at the centre 

as key regulators of disease progression, 

challenging the notion that amyloid is enough 

to trigger Alzheimer’s disease,” said senior 

author Tharick Pascoal, associate professor 

of psychiatry and neurology at Pitt. 

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative 

condition that causes progressive memory 

loss and dementia, robbing patients of many 

productive years of life. At the tissue level, 

the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is an 

accumulation of amyloid plaques, protein 

aggregates lodged between nerve cells of 

the brain, and clumps of disordered protein 

fibers, called tau tangles, forming inside the 

neurons. 

For many decades, brain scientists believed 

that an accumulation of amyloid plaques and 

tau tangles is not only a sign of Alzheimer’s 

disease but also its direct culprit. This 

assumption also led drug manufacturers 

to heavily invest into molecules targeting 

amyloid and tau, overlooking the contribution 

of other brain processes, such as the 

neuroimmune system. 

Recent discoveries by groups like 

Pascoal’s suggest the disruption of other 

brain processes, such as heightened brain 

inflammation, might be just as important 

as amyloid burden itself in starting the 

pathological cascade of neuronal death that 

causes rapid cognitive decline. 

In his previous research, Pascoal and his 

group found brain tissue inflammation triggers 

the spread of pathologically misfolded 

proteins in the brain, and is a direct cause 

of eventual cognitive impairment in patients 

with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, almost two 

years later, researchers have revealed that 

the cognitive impairment can be predicted 

by a blood test. 

Scientists tested blood samples from 

participants in three independent studies 

of cognitively unimpaired elderly people 

for biomarkers of astrocyte reactivity, glial 

fibrillary acidic protein, or GFAP, along with 

the presence of pathological tau. 

The study showed that only those who 

were positive for both amyloid and astrocyte 

reactivity showed evidence of progressively 

developing tau pathology. 

Obesity affects more than 

40 per cent of Americans 

and the trend is expected 

to increase. Obesity and obesityrelated 

disorders have few 

therapy or prevention options. 

It is a substantial healthcare 

and public health burden that 

increases the risk of illnesses 

like diabetes, hypertension and 

cancer, and is connected to the 

severity of Covid-19. 

A Boston University Chobanian 

& Avedisian School of Medicine 

research team has identified 

a novel druggable signalling 

molecule involved in obesity, 

a previously unknown protein 

(MINAR2) discovered in the 

laboratory of Associate Professor 

of Pathology and Laboratory 

Medicine Nader Rahimi in 2020. 

“This finding can help to unravel 

new aspects in the mechanisms 

of obesity and diabetes, which 

could lead to the development 

of novel therapeutics for the 

prevention and treatment of 

obesity and diabetes,” said 

Rahimi, a corresponding author 

of ‘Inactivation of Minar2 in Mice 

Hyperactivates mTOR Signaling 

and Results in Obesity’, published 

online in Molecular Metabolism. 

To study the role of MINAR2 

in obesity, the research team 

generated global MINAR2 

knockout animal models that 

eliminated that gene’s function. 

MINAR2-deficient animal models 

fed on a normal non-high fat diet 

showed an increased fat mass 

ratio compared to control sexand 

age-matched models. 

When MINAR2-deficient animal 

models were fed a high-fat 

diet (HFD), they gained weight 

faster than control models and 

developed obesity with impaired 

glucose tolerance, a hallmark of 

type 2 diabetes. 

Researchers found mammalian 

target of rapamycin (mTOR) 

signaling which regulates 

metabolism and other cellular 

processes, such as cell 

proliferation and autophagy, is 

hyperactivated in the fat cells of 

MINAR2-deficient animal models. 

MINAR2 interacts with raptor, a 

specific and essential component 

mTOR complex 1. 

Excessive salt intake associated with cognitive disorders: Study 

Dementia is described as a loss 

of cognitive functioning, which 

includes thinking, remembering, 

and reasoning, and it is quite common 

in Japan. At the moment, treatment 

satisfaction for dementia is among the 

lowest, and no medication therapy to 

cure the condition is available. With the 

world’s population increasingly ageing, 

the discovery of dementia prevention and 

treatment medications is crucial. 

Cognitive impairment has been linked to 

the consumption of excess table salt, a 

ubiquitous food seasoning. High salt (HS) 

intake can also lead to hypertension. To 

prevent adverse health outcomes, the 

World Health Organization recommends 

limiting salt intake to less than 5g per day. 

The involvement of angiotensin II 

(Ang II), a hormone that plays a key role 

in regulating blood pressure and fluid 

neuroimaging results of stroke patients. 

The research team analysed all available 

clinical imaging data from nearly 3,500 

patients who had a stroke in the Greater 

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region in 2015, 

balance, and its receptor “AT1”, as well 

as that of the physiologically important 

lipid molecule prostaglandin E2. However, 

the involvement of these systems in HSmediated 

hypertension and emotional/ 

assessing the imaging for signs of small vessel 

disease in the brain in the form of previous 

injury, microbleeds, white matter disease or 

brain atrophy, among other observations. 

Vagal said the team identified three distinct 

clusters of observable imaging characteristics 

that were each associated with a specific set 

of clinical variables. 

“This can help us understand the biology 

of pre-existing brain health in stroke patients 

and help guide future interventions,” she 

said, adding, “We expected all the imaging 

parameters of brain health due to small vessel 

disease to be closely clustered, but we found 

a lack of clustering of microbleeds with white 

matter disease.” 

With the knowledge gained from the study, 

Vagal said the team is now using the brain 

health imaging data to build a prediction 

model of recurrent stroke. 

cognitive impairment remains elusive. 

A recent study published in British 

Journal of Pharmacology thoroughly 

evaluated the aspects of HS-mediated 

hypertension and emotional/cognitive 

impairment. The study was performed by 

a team of collaborating researchers from 

Japan, and has shown how hypertension, 

mediated by the crosstalk between Ang II- 

AT1 and PGE2-EP1 causes emotional and 

cognitive dysfunction. 

Author Hisayoshi Kubota from Fujita 

Health University’s Graduate School of 

Health Science comments, “Excessive 

salt intake is considered a risk factor for 

hypertension, cognitive dysfunction, and 

dementia. However, studies focusing on 

the interaction between the peripheral 

and central nervous system have not 

sufficiently investigated this association.” 

According to the published data, the 

Researchers 

find molecule 

that impacts 

obesity, diabetes 

addition of excessive phosphates to the 

protein “tau” is primarily responsible for 

this emotional and cognitive consequence. 

The findings are particularly noteworthy 

because tau is a key protein of Alzheimer’s. 

The team first loaded laboratory mice 

with an HS solution for 12 weeks and 

monitored their blood pressure. “The 

effects of HS intake on emotional/ 

cognitive function and tau phosphorylation 

were also examined in two key areas of 

the mouse brain, the prefrontal cortex 

and the hippocampus,” explains Professpr 

Mouri. The brains of the experimental mice 

had several biochemical alternations. At 

the molecular level, besides the addition 

of phosphates to tau, the researchers also 

observed a decrease in the phosphate 

groups linked to a key enzyme called 

“CaMKII”, a protein involved in brain 

signaling.

The Indian Weekender 2 June 2023

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