Indian Newslink May 1, 2015 Digital Edition

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Celebrating the Role of women in Governance
Venkat Raman
We are happy to announce
that the Fifth Annual
Indian Newslink Sir
Anand Satyanand
Lecture will celebrate the success of
women as leaders in various capacities.
‘The Role of Women in Governance’
will be the central theme of this year’s
Lecture scheduled to be held on Monday,
July 27, 2015 at Pullman Hotel,
Auckland.
The formal, Black Tie event will
commence with cocktails and networking
between 630 pm and 730 pm,
followed by dinner and the Lecture.
Tickets, priced at $140 plus GST are
now available. Please call 021-836528
or email editor@indiannewslink.co.nz
Jan Dawson, Chairperson of Westpac
Bank and Deputy Chairperson of
Air New Zealand will be the Guest
Speaker.
Dr Susan Macken, Member of The
Treasury and Director, BNZ will be
the Master of Ceremonies.
Ranjna Patel, Director, East Tamaki
Health Care Group and Director, Bank
of Baroda New Zealand will provide
‘Reflections’ of the Lecture.
Since its inception in 2011, the
annual Lecture series has dealt with
various aspects of good governance,
including honesty, integrity, transparency
and accountability. These have
been the governing principles of
former Governor General Sir Anand
Satyanand, in whose name the Lecture
is held.
Honouring Sir Anand
John Allen, who was then Chief
Executive and Secretary of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs & Trade was the
Guest Speaker at the Inaugural Lecture
held on July 4, 2011.
“We have been extraordinarily lucky
to have had a New Zealander of Indian
ethnicity as the Governor General,
because it recognises the contribution
made in the past and present and the
contribution that would be made in the
future by the Indian community in this
country. It recognises the extraordinary
contribution made by people from all
over the world to the diversity and
dynamism of this country,” he said.
In choosing this year’s subject,
Indian Newslink celebrates the success
of women in various roles of
governance in both government and
private sector.
The theme of the Lecture also
reflects the international recognition
that our women have continued to
enjoy over the years.
Global score
An Economist ‘Glass-Ceiling
Index,’ compiled in 2013, ranked New
Zealand the highest on the status of
women among 26 OECD countries.
“The Index compares five indicators:
the number of men and women
respectively with tertiary education;
female labour-force participation; the
male-female wage gap; the proportion
of women in senior jobs; and net
child-care costs relative to the average
wage. The first four are given equal
weighting, the fifth a lower one, since
not all working women have children.
New Zealand scores high on all the
indicators,” it said.
Celebrity Women
The experience of Ms Dawson has
Amidst widespread
protests and appeals
echoed throughout the
world, the Indonesian
authorities executed Andrew
Chan (31) and Myuran Sukumaran
(34) in the early hours of
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 (530
am New Zealand Time) as we
were at printers with this issue.
They were among six others
shot dead by a firing squad on the
prison island of Nusakambangan
to which they were taken about
two months ago.
Chan and Sukumaran were
arrested in 2005 and a year later,
an Indonesian Court sentenced
encompassed a wide range of services
including audit, accounting, due diligence
risk and governance advice and
litigation support.
She has particular expertise in
working with financial institutions,
Registered Banks and companies in
the infrastructure network, software/
IP distribution and forestry.
Ms Dawson is a Member of the
Capital Investment Committee of the
National Health Board, the Council of
the University of Auckland, the Disciplinary
Tribunal – NZ Institute of
Chartered Accountants, and Voyager
Australian pair executed for drug trafficking
Sarfraz (Saif)
Shaikh is
www.indiannewslink.co.nz ■ Phone: 09 533 6377 ■ info@indiannewslink.co.nz ■ Issue No 322 ■ MAY 1 2015
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran (Picture courtesy: news.com.au)
We provide tailor-made solutions to individual
migrant and their families seeking to study, work,
invest, do business and live in
New Zealand permanently
Jan Dawson Dr Susan Macken Ranjna Patel
Venkat Raman
them to death by a firing squad.
Speculation ends
The executions ended ten years
of speculation that they could be
spared since appeals for clemency
were sent from various parts of
the world. Australian Prime Minister
Tony Abbot had offered to
exchange three Indonesian convicts
held in his country’s prisons
for the two Australian men.
Indonesian President Joko
Widodo, who came to power last
year on the promise of cleaning
his country of corruption and
drugs, rejected the offer. He
also refused to relent to calls for
mercy.
Angry reaction
Mr Widodo’s decision appeared
FREE
Maritime Museum.
Dr Macken has extensive experience
in senior management roles within the
Fletcher Group of Companies, the New
Zealand Kiwifruit Marketing Board
and as Chief Executive of the Auckland
Regional Economic Development
Strategy.
Ms Patel has several other professional
interests including Total Healthcare
Otara (Executive Trustee), New
Zealand Asian Leaders Group and
Lottery Auckland Community Distribution
Committee (Member).
A related story appears on Page 2
to have had backlash.
Soon after the announcement
of the execution of the two Australians,
Mr Abbott recalled his
Ambassador to Jakarta in protest.
He said that he was withdrawing
the diplomat “in the wake
of cruel and unnecessary executions.
Today we lost Myuran and
Andrew, our sons, our brothers,”
he said.
“In the ten years since they
were arrested, they did all they
could to make amends, helping
many others. They asked for
mercy but there was none. They
were immensely grateful for all
the support they received. We
too, will forever be grateful,” Mr
Abbott said.
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Lecture pays tribute to inspiring women leaders
Venkat Raman
The increasing importance of
women as ministers, corporate
leaders, entrepreneurs
and professionals has encouraged
us to dedicate the Fifth Annual
Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand
Lecture in their honour.
Jan Dawson, Chairperson of Westpac
Bank and Deputy Chairperson of
Air New Zealand will be the Guest
Speaker at this Lecture scheduled to
be held on Monday, July 27, 2015 at
Pullman Hotel Auckland.
She will speak on the ‘Role of
Women in Governance,’ perhaps citing
examples of how women have
contributed in shaping policies and
programmes, corporate plans and
strategies and directions and decisions
in central and local governments and
public and private undertakings.
Dr Susan Macken, Director BNZ
and Member of The Treasury will
be the Master of Ceremonies, while
Ranjna Patel, Director of the Nirvana
Group comprising East Tamaki
Health Care Clinics and Pharmacies
will present her ‘Reflections’ on the
subject.
Ms Dawson is likely to concentrate
on one or two aspects of the main
theme of the Lecture and the leadership
of women in governance.
The Choice
The choice of the central theme
Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture 2015
About our Guest Speaker
Jan Dawson was appointed a Director of Westpac New Zealand
in July 2011 and as
the Bank’s Chair in
February 2015.
She is an independent
director for a number
of New Zealand
and Trans-Tasman
companies, namely
Air New Zealand,
AIG Insurance New
Zealand, Meridian
Energy and Beca
Group.
Ms Dawson is a
Chartered Accountant
and was the
Chair and Chief
Executive of KPMG
New Zealand from
2006 to July 2011, having become a partner of the Firm in 1986.
With over 30 years’ experience in New Zealand, United Kingdom
and Canada working in Auckland and Vancouver, she
was the lead relationship partner for a number of KPMG’s
significant issuer clients. Ms Dawson was elected President of
Yachting New Zealand in 2007 and is a member of Council of
the International Sailing Federation and its Events Committee
as well as Chair of the Audit Committee.
About our Master of Ceromonies
Dr Susan Macken is
a Director of BNZ,
Title Sponsors of
the Indian Newslink
Indian Business
Awards since the
past five years. She
is Chair of the BNZ
Audit Committee
and past Chair of
the BNZ Risk Committee.
Dr Macken is also
a Non-Executive
Member of the
board of The Treasury
and Chair of
its Risk and Audit
Committee; Chair of the Institute of Environmental Science
and Research Limited; and Deputy Chair of the Tamaki Redevelopment
Company. She is also on the boards of Fertility
Associates and Waterfront Auckland.
Previous board directorships include Southern Cross Healthcare,
the Ultimate Care Group, NZ Trade Development Board and
Vision Senior Living.
for our Lecture this year underscores
the growing importance of women in
high offices.
New Zealand has led the world
in providing equal opportunities
for women. It was the first country
to accord voting rights to women in
1893.
It continues to maintain its role as
a leader in gender equality. We were
ranked seventh out of 136 countries
in the ‘Global Gender Gap’ Report
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
2
of 2013 and fifth out of 187 countries
in the Human Development Index
during the same year.
Indian Newslink Sir Anand
Satyanand Lecture is a formal, Black
Tie event.
It will commence with cocktails
and networking between 630 pm and
730 pm, followed by dinner and the
Lecture.
We will provide further details in
the ensuing issues.
About our Supplementary Speaker
Ranjna Patel is
Director of the Nirvana
Group, which
includes East Tamaki
Healthcare, the largest
private healthcare
provider in New
Zealand. The Company
won the Indian
Newslink Supreme
Business of the Year
Award’ in addition
to winning in the
‘Best Innovation
Business’ and ‘Best
Professional Services
Business’ categories
and being a finalist in
the ‘Best Large Business’ category in 2009.
Ms Patel won the Best Businesswoman of the Year Award in
its launch year in 2010.
Last year, she became the first Indian to decorate the Hall of
Fame of ‘Co. Of Women,’ an organisation of high achievers
based in Auckland. The Hall of Fame honours those whose
success has paved the way, whose brilliance has changed the
way things get done and whose generosity has impacted our
world for good.
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HOMELINK
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Communities pour their hearts into Gandhi Nivas
Venkat Raman
The Gandhi Nivas Project, a unique experiment
of a few from the South Asian Advisory Board
of Counties Manukau Police, received a loud
applause at a fundraising dinner held on Wednesday,
Thursday April 23 at India Gate Hall, located above
Bikanervala in Papatoetoe.
As well as mobilising larger-than-expected amount, the
event brought to the fore the fact that people will pour out
their hearts and valets for the right cause, implemented
by the right people with the right intention.
Overwhelming support
Ethnic Communities Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-liga,
Members of Parliament Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Melissa
Lee (National), Jenny Salesa (Labour), Mahesh Bindra
(NZ First) and Giri Gupta were among about 200 people
who attended the event, representing a cross-section of
the community.
New Zealand Police was represented by Deputy Chief
Executive Maori Superintendent Wallace Haumaha,
National Ethnic Advisor Inspector Rakesh Naidoo, and
Counties Manukau Maori Responsive Manager Inspector
Nga-Wati Chaplow, Crime Prevention Manager Inspector
Bronwyn Marshall and Sergeant Gurpreet Singh Arora.
Event Highlights
Among the highlights of the evening were a lecture
by celebrity speaker Kaajal Oza Vaidya and an auction
conducted by Roger Burrill. Prime Minister John Key
donated a bottle of wine with his autograph, Trelise Cooper
gave away a beaded jacket and two tickets for a private
fashion show and many other commercial organisations
donated their products or services. The auction helped to
raise more than $9000.
A special mention was made of Ratna Venkat who
forfeited her Birthday Party to present ‘Vaishnava Jana To’
a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi in Bharata Natyam style,
symbolising peace and harmony; Nikhil Deo (HDev who
performed free as DJ) and Stephen Pressmore of Snap
Printing (an Australian-owned Group) for complimentary
printing services.
Melissa Lee, who was the Master of Ceremonies,
outlined the importance of supporting projects such as
Gandhi Nivas.
Violence roots
In her speech, Ms Vaidya said that hatred is often the
root cause of violence, disturbing family life and upsetting
peace and harmony.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi with Ranjna Patel, Amrat Ranchhod
(‘Mahatma Gandhi’) Jaya and Rahul Sirigiri
“We should learn to love and understand each other,
promote goodwill and love and foster the society with
tolerance and mutual self-respect. Empowerment of
women is an important step in the progress of any society,”
she said.
Major donors
Among the major donors (financial, material and
human resources) of the fundraising dinner were Total
Health Care, the Nirvana Health Group, which also comprises
the East Tamaki Group of Health Clinics and Pharmacies,
Dr Kanti, Ranjna and Rakesh Patel; India Gate
Restaurant and India Gate Party Hall Directors Shivani
and Kuldeep Arora, Roshila Prasad of Humm FM (106.2
FM) and Trelise Cooper, the famous fashion designer.
The largest donors at the dinner were Indra Sirigiri and
his son Rahul (Link2 Services Limited), who, apart from
an earlier cash donation, purchased two tickets for a private
fashion show given away by Trelise Cooper. Among
the other donors were Ajay Kumar (Global Financial
Services Limited), Roshan Nauhria (Nauhria Limited),
Mahesh Bindra, Meena Reddy, Rohit Reddy (The Reddy
Group Limited), Prahlad Gupta (Bank of Baroda New
Zealand Limited), Ravi Mehta (Professional Financial
Solutions Limited), Lawrence Ponniah (Corban Revell
Lawyers) and Mahesh Ranchhod (The Ranchhod Group).
Gandhi Nivas origin
Earlier, outlining the objectives and implementation
of the Project, Ms Patel said that two reports released in
March 2015 had recommended a different approach to
family violence in New Zealand.
“There should be activity at Ministry level, but we will
not hold our breath,” she said.
Ms Patel said that she decided to take up the challenge
posed by Counties Manukau District Police Superintendent
John Tims to the South Asian Advisory
Board of which she, Indian Newslink Editor, Sergeant
Gurpreet Singh, Ibrar Sheikh, Moses Singh
and Nimmi Bedi are members) to suggest new ideas
and make a difference in the community.
“We had several consultations with community
counselling providers and identified why
South Asians were featuring prominently in family
violence data, including the fact that half of all
homicides in New Zealand are related to family
violence. Police attend to a family violence incident
every five-and-half minutes, although only about
20% of family violence are reported,” she said.
This designated facility assists in achieving that
sense of safety for victims by ensuring they stay in their
own homes and providing temporary accommodation for
men involved in family violence and providing support
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Celebrity Speaker Kaajal Oza Vaidya
such as counselling to address underlying issues and seek
solutions moving forward, she added.
Details of Gandhi Nivas appeared in our April 15,
2015 issue.
Indian Newslink will continue to promote this important,
community project continuously, encouraging people
to extend their monetary and material support.
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12TH EDITION
HOMELINK
Fudged statistics is almost criminal
Phil Goff
Latest crime statistics for
Auckland show worrying
trends deliberately ignored
by Government MPs writing
in Indian Newslink.
Members
of the Indian
community I
speak to simply
do not believe
that crime is
becoming less
of a problem.
They are
worried at the
complacency of a government that
keeps saying ‘It’s Ok, crime is
coming down’ and therefore cutting
the Police Budget.
Increasing crime
The Police Statistics on Crime
released in April showed that in the
last year burglaries, crimes that have
the widest impact in our community,
have in fact increased in Auckland.
So have even more serious crimes
like sexual assault.
Most worrying are trends showing
that Police are solving less not more
crime as each year passes and the cuts
to real expenditure on policing have
more and more impact.
Crime resolution figures in
Auckland for high volume crimes like
burglary and vehicle theft are getting
worse. They have fallen to about onein-twenty
chance of offenders being
apprehended.
Low resolution
Across the Auckland region,
police resolution of burglaries has
fallen over the last three years to a
dismal 6.1%. In other words, 94% of
burglaries did not result in a charge.
The Role
WOMEN
Governance
A RARE OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED!
Monday, July 27, 2015
Pullman Hotel, Auckland
of
in
A powerful subject to stimulate discussion
&
Present
For motor vehicle theft, resolution
rates have fallen even further to 5.9%.
Crime resolution rates for more
serious offences like assault and
sexual assault have also fallen, in the
latter case down by 14% over the last
two years to 43.8%.
These figures are worrying. It
means that if your home is burgled
or your car stolen, there is almost
no chance that you can expect the
criminal who ripped you off to be
caught.For the offender, they know
they can go on committing crimes
with little risk they will be arrested
and held to account.
Worrying trend
If crime is going down as the
Government keeps telling us, perhaps
the Police Minister can explain why
Police are being less effective in
dealing to those still committing
crime.
As someone who
has contracted
campylobacter
in Morocco and
Hepatitis A in Somalia, I can
say with some authority that
it is nice to live in a country
known for its high food safety
standards.
Our good record has been
established over generations
but it has recently been taken
for granted.
We learnt last fortnight that
15 Auckland butchers have
been fined for using chemicals
in their meat that can make us
When I asked that question of the
Police Commissioner recently, before
the latest and even worse figures were
released, he could only say that it was
a good question.
He said that burglary rates had
decreased, but on the latest figures
for Auckland in 2014, the number
of burglaries has actually risen in the
last year by over 15%.
The explanation seems to be that
with cuts in the real level of their
budget, police officers are being
required to do more with less.
Police plight
The Police Commissioner
acknowledged that police had to
absorb over $300 million in rising
costs over recent years that they
were not compensated in the last
four budgets.
On the ground, police officers are
telling me that with cuts in non-sworn
sick, and fool us into thinking
the meat is fresh when its past
its expiry date.
A couple of things in
particular worried me about
the case.
Government reluctant
First, the government did not
want to reveal which butchers
had committed the offence.
Why would the government
want to protect these rulebreakers
rather than help us
keep our families safe?
Gary Orr, compliance
manager for the Ministry for
Primary Industries (MPI) said,
“Naming the businesses could
mean consumers choosing not
to go there.”
Well, that is exactly the
point. We should not buy from
people who have broken the
rules of the land and put our
health, including that of our
children at risk for their selfish
reasons.
Name and shame
Businesses that put us at risk
in this way should expect to be
named, not protected.
The second thing that
worries me about this case
is the revelation that MPI
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
4
staff numbers, front line officers have
to do more of the backroom work
themselves.
Aucklanders have the right to feel
safe at home and in the community.
Police tell us that their emphasis
is on crime prevention. But if fewer
and fewer criminals are being
apprehended and prosecuted for
their crimes, that encourages rather
than deters criminals. Criminals will
get the message they will be unlikely
to be caught and victims of crime
will wonder why they even bother
reporting the crimes they suffer from.
Phil Goff is former Foreign Affairs,
Trade and Justice Minister and has
been Member of Parliament for almost
35 years. Elected from Mt Roskill, he is
today Labour Party’s Spokesperson for
Ethnic Affairs and Auckland Issues.
Erring butchers get a
piece of the law
David Shearer
no longer makes a priority
of routinely monitoring and
testing fresh red meat sold in
New Zealand.
That is an omission that
you would not expect to find
in a country like New Zealand,
which prides itself on the
quality of our food.
Ask anyone who has lived
in a country where food safety
is not monitored; it should be
core government business and
MPI should know this after the
botulism scare and the DCD
milk controversy.
Sick exposure
The 15 Auckland butchers
who added toxic chemicals to
their meat were only caught
because a couple became sick
after eating mince.
This is a bad look for MPI,
and the government that does
not appear concerned. As a
result, New Zealand’s foodsafety
operations are looking
increasingly threadbare.
David Shearer is Member of
Parliament elected from Mt
Albert and Labour Party’s
Spokesman for Foreign
Affairs and Consumer
Affairs.
Guest Speaker:
Jan Dawson
Chairperson, Westpac
Deputy Chairperson, Air New Zealand
Master of Ceremonies:
Dr Susan Macken
Director, BNZ
Member of The Treasury
Reflections:
Ranjna Patel
Director, East Tamaki Healthcare
Director, Bank of Baroda
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HOMELINK
Wrongdoers bring down a
noble profession
Kamil Lakshman
We often hear ‘horror
stories’ from our clients,
of how they or someone
they know being left
high and dry by some immigration
agents.
There are then reports appearing in
the press of someone being charged
with fraud.
Chasing dreams
Every time, I hear or read such
reports, my heart goes out to victims.
This is because, like most others in
our community, I also arrived in New
Zealand as a migrant to pursue my
dream and establish a progressive
family.
Like a majority of people in the
immigration business, I believe in
carrying on my work and profession
with honesty, accountability and
transparency. I, like many others,
derive satisfaction in seeing someone
smile, in knowing that I have been
able to stabilise the job and status of
a person so that they can also follow a
dream, just as I did.
Differing mind-sets
However, the moral compass differs
between people.
The questions that arise are, “What
is my intention in taking a certain
action?” What is the motivating
factor? Am I doing the right thing by
looking after my interest alone? What
if the other person is victimised by my
actions?
What emerges would depend on the
mind-set of the person; whether it is
motivated by self-interest and benefit
or that of service and assistance.
The mind-set stems from one’s
belief. It is the belief in which we exist
as individuals.
Simply put, it would be ‘You or
Me’ as against ‘You and Me,’ there
being no correlation between action
and reaction.
Should we not believe that we are
a part of a whole, interconnected, and
therefore, one’s action is not in isolation
of the other; and that every action
would have an effect on someone,
somewhere somehow?
Another’s joy is mine, another’s
despair is mine, in a higher sense there
is no distinction.
This result in a response that wants
to empower and uplift, not take and
discard.
Watching oneself
This conversation is sometimes
difficult to engage in because one
may not like the insights gained; selfdeception
can set in as an inevitable
result.
Constant self-vigilance is required,
because one slip can have disastrous
consequences on a person or an entire
family.
In this day and age of consumerism
and pressures to fund a certain lifestyle
can be a challenge, which in some
cases becomes the motivating factor.
It is the same old conflict of interestwhether
ends should justify the means
or means can justify the end.
Constant introspection is important
in immigration practice. This is
because an immigration adviser or an
immigration lawyer may be dealing
with a person or a family who are
vulnerable and desperate, willing to
achieve their objective at any cost.
Some of them are pushed so far that
they would borrow monies from any
possible source to pay an immigration
adviser or lawyer.
Is this ethical and moral? Recent
cases of ghost advisers, lawyers and
licensed advisers who have been struck
off the official registers with their
practicing certificates cancelled should
make all of us realise the importance
of honesty and truth. Preying on the
vulnerable cannot give a good sleep -
that is always my measure!
Our profession can be soul satisfying
as we provide a rescue mission. We
are also instrumental in making that
migration journey easier and assist
many into their new country.
It is the unethical actions of a few
that bring disrepute to this profession,
creating a wrong perception about our
bona fides. It can be all consuming at
times, while on some other occasions,
it could be a thankless job.
What keeps us going is the positive
difference that we make in the lives
of people.
Kamil Lakshman is a Lawyer &
Principal of Wellington based law
firm Idesi Legal Limited. She can
be contacted on (04) 4616018 or 021-
1598803. Email: kamil.lakshman@
idesilegal.co.nz; The opinions
expressed in her article above
are her own and not that of Idesi
Legal Limited or Indian Newslink.
Readers can send their comments to
editor@indiannewslink.co.nz
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
5

EDUCATIONLINK
AUT puts Art on Supermarket scale
The Original Art Sale’ presented by
the AUT University will be held from
May 15 to May 17 at the Vodafone
Events Centre in Manukau.
Masterpieces that capture the heart and
eye, but do not max out the credit card are the
success behind Auckland’s largest art market.
The three-day event this year will feature
more than 1200 artworks by about 350 New
Zealand artists.The diverse collection will
include a number of budding artists.
The supermarket concept has a fast turn
over and artworks are constantly replaced
when something sells. Prices range from $100
to $5000 with a wide choice.
School Contest
Forty finalists at the Secondary School Art
Competition will also exhibit their works
and they would know the names of winners
at the event.
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The annual sale of paintings brushes well with buyers
Dr Ian Huffer
Bollywood or Hollywood? At
the cinema or on-demand?
Streaming or torrenting?
India is famous for its films, and New
Zealand’s Indian
community has
never before been
presented with so
many choices
about what films
to watch and how
to watch them.
Traditional options such as cinema
and DVD continue to exist alongside
legal and illegal forms of online
delivery, providing audiences with a
multitude of movies.
Basic information
I am conducting research for Massey
University and would like to find out
how you navigate your way through
all of these choices that are available.
Given all of the films to choose from,
decisions have to be made about what
to watch.
The Original Art Sale opens with a charity
gala night on May 14, with proceeds from
ticket sales donated to Kidz First Children’s
Hospital.
The programme will commence at 630 pm
with drinks and networking.
People purchasing a $49 ticket online of
the opening night will have the opportunity
to win a Mark Warboys painting donated to
Kidz First for this event.
Time and Cost
The Exhibition of painting will be open to
the public from May 15 to 17 (Friday 10am to
5pm, Saturday& Sunday from 10am to 3pm
Tickets for the other days would be $14 for
adults, $10 for students, seniors and children
(ID essential) $10, and free for children under
five years of age. Family passes including
two adults and two children are also available
at $50.
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Mark Warboys Painting on sale
Researcher needs info on your movie habits
6
For example, do you only watch
Indian films or do you watch films from
a number of countries?
Choosing how to watch a film today
can be based on a range of factors,
including cost, the chance to see the
latest film, the availability of particular
films, and whether to break the law.I am
interested in finding out what choices
you make and why. Your response will
be completely anonymous.
Film discussion
In addition to finding out what films
you watch and how you watch them,
I would also like to learn more about
how you discuss films and with whom
you discuss.
People and communities can bond
together through their discussion of
films, and social media has extended
the ways in which this discussion can
take place.
Does social media figure in your
discussion of films, or not?
Viewing habits
I am keen to discover the filmviewing
habits of as many different
people as possible in New Zealand
so that I can find out if there is any
relationship between their film-viewing
and such factors as their age, gender, or
ethnic group.
Through this research, I hope to gain
a better understanding of why people
watch films in particular ways and the
role of film viewing in shaping society.
If you are interested in filling out a
questionnaire, please click on the link
below: https://www.surveymonkey.
com/s/Watching_Films_NZ Please
also tell your friends and family about
the survey. Participants should be
resident in New Zealand and be over
16 years of age.Once again, I assure you
confidentiality.
This project has been reviewed and
approved by the Massey University
Human Ethics Committee #15/16
humanethicsoutha@massey.ac.nz
Dr Ian Huffer is a Lecturer in Media
Studies at Massey University.
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EDUCATIONLINK
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
7
Young Zoros setting up global platform
Sanaya Master
The excitement is building
up; in about eight
months from now, young
Zoroastrians from all
over the world will be flying to
Auckland to attend the Sixth World
Zoroastrian
Y o u t h
Congress,
the most
anticipated
event in the
Zoroastrian
Community.
T h e
six-day event will be held at
Kings College in Otahuhu from
December 28, 2015 to January 2,
2016, promisingan experience of a
lifetime to all delegates.
The World Zoroastrian Youth
Congress(WZYC)aimsto cultivate
a better understanding of the ancient
Congress Chair Tinaz Karbhari with Vice-Chairs Roxanne Medhora and Nazneen Sukhia
on a journey that will engage
and motivate them to embrace
New Zealand’s treasured culture,
enhance Zoroastrianism’s unique
traditions and evolve to create
a united future. In addition, the
Congress will host world-renowned
speakers,who aim to empower and
encourage the youth to add to the
great Zoroastrian legacy.
At press time, more than 200
delegates from Australia, USA,
Canada, UK, India, Iran and New
of New Zealand (ZANZ), along
with the Organising Committee
made up of Zoroastrian youth in
Auckland is working diligently to
ensure that the 6th WZYC is an
unforgettable experience.
But this would not be possible
without the support of our local
community.
Sponsorship of any amount and
donations in kind are welcome.
For more information, please
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from all over the world to network
at social and professional levels.
The WZYC is held every four
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we in Auckland are privileged to
host the sixth quadrennial event.
Exciting journey
The delegates will be taken
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FIJILINK
Ethno Nationalism disturbs Indian Diaspora
Mahendra Sukhdeo
The Indian government failed to
recognise the Indian Diaspora
in the past.
In the late 1800s and 1900s,
when the Chinese were streaming out
to different parts
of the world,
then ascent
Indian National
Congress paid
scant attention
to the Indian
Diaspora. In
fact, it was principally instrumental in
the abolition of the indenture system.
It was in this underbelly of
colonisation that the biggest Indian
migration began in 1830s.
It came on the back of the African
‘slave trade.’
Fiji was the last of the colonies for
indentured labourers. The brain drain
of 1960s and 1970s and the subsequent
oil boom in the Arab world gave
impetus for Indians to leave the shores
for greener pastures abroad.
Errant Policy
Wherever Indians had settled in
larger numbers, their socio-political
and economic aspirations were soured
The Constitutional Offices
Commission held its first meeting
on April 17, 2015 in Suva.
The Commission, established
under Section 132 of the Fijian
Constitution, advises the President for the
appointment of a number of Constitutional
Offices.
They include the Chairperson and
Members of the Human Rights and
Anti-Discrimination Commission;
by ethno nationalism and/or indulgent,
adversarial leadership among the
settler Indians.
The expulsion of Indians from
Uganda, fall of the Tamils in Sri Lanka,
imposition of Bhumiputra (Sons of the
Soil paradigm) in Malaysia, mutation
of leftist leaders in Guyana, muzzling
of Indians in Suriname and the coups
of Fiji point to the lackadaisical local
leadership and the failure of the Indian
foreign policy to engage actively with
the recipient countries.
Fiji Coup
The 1987 coup was a defining
ethnocentric political drama for
Fiji and the Pacific Island Nations
(PINs). Indians at once felt completely
disenchanted and in a fit of epileptic
anger and anguish, moved out of Fiji
in droves.
There are certain common themes
Chairperson and Members of the Electoral
Commission; Supervisor of Elections;
Secretary-General to Parliament;
Chairperson and Members of the Public
Service Commission; Commissioner
of Police; Commissioner of the Fiji
Corrections Service;Commander of the
Republic of Fiji Military Forces;Auditor-
General; and Governor of the Reserve
Bank of Fiji.
The Commission consists of the Prime
Minister (who is also the Chairperson),
that characterise the Indian diasporic
experience inplaces as different as
Trinidad, Fiji, Canada, Britain, US,
South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and
Australia.
They share a common history,
culture and spiritual beliefs and they
had to face issues of identity, problems
of acculturation and confrontation with
racism.
Adaptation issue
Taking 1987 as the benchmark,
Indo-Fijians have now resettled in
their adoptive countries for well over
26 years. They did not go through
the trials and tribulations in the same
magnitude as the ‘Girmitiyas’ and yet
there are gripping tales of groupism
and negativity as observed in the
incidence of physical violence, family
disputes, inter-personal ruptures,
depressive withdrawals, manic suicide,
and social inclusiveness.
Displaced Fiji Indians in New
Zealand, Australia, Canada and the
United States of America bewail their
tragic loss of socio-political leverage
and indulge in a nostalgic form of
cultural ‘auto-voyeurism’ through
the lifeline of religious rhythm and/
or social intoxicants.
Constitutional Commission meets
Staff Reporter
Malti& Mahendra Sukhdeo with Dr Amar
& Anupama at the launch in Melbourne
Attorney-General, Leader of the
Opposition, two persons appointed by
the President on the advice of the Prime
Minister (currently businessman Sanjay
Kaba and Fiji National Provident Fund
Chairman Ajith Kodagoda) and one
person appointed by the President on the
advice of the Leader of the Opposition
(currently lawyer Richard Krishnan
Naidu).
The next meeting of the Commission
will be held on May 8, 2015
Their absorption as minorities in a
dominant Caucasian milieu is bound to
be frustratingly slow and depressingly
cathartic.
Religious grooving
Indo-Fijians, being one of the
minorities of the minorities, need to
dilute their penchantfor repetitive (and
fruitless) religious grooving and start
forging links with like-minded ethnic
Malti Sukhdeo with Sujata, Shivali and Vandana
groups to begin the process of active
assimilation and nation building in
their adoptive countries.
The Indian Indenture System from
1834 to 1920 has been a subject of
critical review for decades by several
scholars.
In ‘Aryan Avatars,’I have attempted
in four chapters to cover the full
course and discourse of the system
including the spectacular progress of
the ‘Girmitiyas’ and their descendants
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
8
from ‘coolies’ to ‘kulaks’ under
extremely trying conditions.
In the next article in Indian Newslink
(May 15, 2015), I will argue that if
both the slave trade and the indenture
system had been permitted to continue
unabated under modified conditions,
the scope of Indian Diaspora and the
history of the Americas and the British
colonies where Indians were resettled
would be different.
I will also argue that in spite of
the excesses of the regime, Indian
settlers markedly improved their status
economically and socially, although
their impact was diluted by their
marginal demography.
Mahendra Sukhdeo was born in Nadi
and is a third generation Fiji Indian
whose grandparents migrated as
contracted labourers from a remote
village near the India-Nepal border in
early 1900. Migrating to New Zealand
in 1999, he worked in Auckland at
Adult Education Centre (Manager)
and Sky City Group (Administrator)
before relocating to Australia. He is
married and has four children.
Email: mahendranz@yahoo.co.nz;
Website: aryanavatars.wordpress.com
The first meeting of the Constitutional Commission in progress
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FIJILINK
BForced migration to and
from Fiji pains
First of Two Parts
Janifa Khan Janif
According to Professor
Vijay Naidu of the Fiji
Institute of Applied
Studies, the indenture
system in Fiji was complex,
involving the removal and
transportation of Indians fromtheir
villages in India to the plantations
and sugar processing plants in the
British colonies overseas.
Recruiters in British India were
stationed in markets, places of
worship and at festivals preying
on vulnerable men, women and
youth. Through deception, they
were successful in contracting
men, women and youth to
plantations in Fiji, South Africa
and the Caribbean.
Changing landscape
Professor Naidu said that the
arrival of ‘Leonidas,’the first
shipload of indentured labourers
from Indiacarrying 498 men,
women and children was to
change the cultural landscape of
Fiji in 1879.
In a system of forcible removal
known as ‘Black Birding’ prior to
the arrival of the Indianindentured
The building at the Calcutta (now Kolkata) Port where
indentured labourers were housed before boarding ships
to British colonies (Picture by Janifa Khan Janif)
Dawn of 1987
As the dawn of 1987 slipped
in, at the stroke of midnight, my
family and I stood on the streets of
Labasa (a small sugarcane town
in Fiji) while the streets pulsated
with the rhythmic beating of ‘Lali,’
traditional Fijian drums.
Throngs of
Fijians connected by
blood, friendship,
geographical ties
and from diverse
ethnic and religious
backgrounds joined
in the celebrations.
The usual traditional
forms of ushering in
the New Year involved
spraying anyone in
your path with water
and then attempting
to sprinkle talcum
powder on them.
It was an
opportunity to make
New Year’s resolutions
and set personal goals
based on prosperity,
health and wellbeing.
loved ones was a painful choice, as
we did not know when we would
see them again.
As a descendant of Indentured
and Black Birded grand parents
and great grandparents from India,
the Solomon Islands and British
Guyana, I was acutely aware of
needing to draw on the strengths
of my forebears, who as forced
migrants had the resilience and
tenacity to survive in their new
homeland of Fiji.
(To be continued)
Janifa Khan Janif (popularly
called Jenny) migrated to New
Zealand from her native Fiji in
1989. She has a graduate degree
(Bachelor of Arts) in Sociology
from University of Auckland
and a Post Graduate Diploma
in Arts (Pacific Studies) from
AUT University. She has more
than 25 years of experience in
government departments and
public sector undertakings.
She was appointed a Justice
of the Peace in 1997. She lives
in Auckland. Email: Janif55@
xtra.co.nz
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Janifa with her husband Khan at Kolkata Port in November 2012
labourers, men from Vanuatu, the
Solomon Islands and a number of
other Pacific nations were brought
to Fiji to work on the copra and
cotton plantations (Naidu, 2004).
Focus on Education
Thirty-seven years later, when
the indenture system ended in
1916, about 60,553 Indians had
arrived in Fiji from India. Upon the
expiry of their five-year contracts,
many Indian families made a
decision to stay in Fiji.
Whilst the indenture system was
a painful and undignified process
for the Indians, for the next four
generations in Fiji, prior to 1987
coup, Indian communities focused
on educational achievement
through the establishment of
schools by Indian religious
organisations on the main islands
of Fiji.
The importance of becoming
well educated was highlighted as
the only means of improving the
social and economic condition
of Indian peoples in a society in
which they could not own land.
For parents who had toiled on
the sugar cane farms, education
for their children was the means
of breaking the cycle of poverty,
gaining professional employment
and of onward migration.
First Coup
However, after the
first four and a half
months of the year
slipped by, on the
morning of May 14,
1987, a catastrophic
event took place for
Fijian democracy.
A coup executed
by the Fiji Military
Force took place in the
capital city of Suva.
It rocked the nation
once considered the
epitome of racial
harmony, shattering
the dreams of its
citizens.
Many had not heard
of the word ‘coup’ and
raced to consult their
dictionaries.
Mass exodus
The first coup was
the push factor for our
family’s migration to
New Zealand, as we
wanted to provide
stability, security and
place of safety for our
then four-year-old son.
It was with great
sadness that we made
this decision.
Leaving behind

BUSINESSLINK
Mai Chen joins
BNZ Board
John Waller
Mai Chen has been
appointed to the
BNZ board of
directors with
Mai has served on the
Securities Commission and
on the advisory board of AMP
Life Limited (NZ), on the NZ
Board of Trade and Enterprise’s
Beachheads programme, on the
Asia New Zealand Foundation
board, the Royal NZ Ballet
board, and on university and
polytechnic councils.
She was the inaugural chair
of NZ Global Women,and
is the current chair of NZ
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
10
being at the heart of a key New
Zealand industry.
I relish the challenge of
working in a sector subject to
so much disruption and fastpaced
change. The challenge
of demographic disruption is
as important as technological
disruption, especially in a
super-diverse market like
Auckland.
Valuable Asset
As a BNZ board member, I
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I am delighted that this
appointment aligns with BNZ’s
mission of supporting a higherachieving
New Zealand.
Mai Chen is an outstanding
New Zealand leader, combining
expertise in public law with
wide ranging commercial
experience. She will bring fresh
and diverse views to board
discussions, alongside the
formal business of our board.
Impressive career
Mai Chen has had an
outstanding and varied career
to date. She has acted as
an advisor to government
ministers on major legislative
and policy changes, and
chaired government reviews,
lectured at leading universities
and authored many books.
Mai has established
influential not-for-profit
leadership organisations for
women, Asian New Zealanders
and Pasifika.
She has pioneered the
practice of public law in New
Zealand, including co-founding
Chen Palmer, a leading law
firm specialising in public and
administrative law, legislation
and public policy as well as
employment law.
Distinguished services
Mai Chen was the Master of Ceremonies at the Indian Newslink Sir
Anand Satyanand Lecture 2013 held on Monday, July 29, 2013 at
Stamford Plaza Hotel Auckland (Picture by Narendra Bedekar).
Asian Leaders. She was
instrumental in establishing
the BEST Pasifika Leadership
Programme.
Mai is currently Managing
Partner at Chen Palmer and
an adjunct professor at the
University of Auckland Law
School.
John Waller is the Chairman
of BNZ Board of Directors.
BNZ has been the Title
Sponsor of the annual Indian
Newslink Indian Business
Awards since 2011.
Mai Chen adds:
I cannot think of a company
that better aligns with my own
diversity values while also
look forward to contributing
my years of experience in
strategic problem-solving, in
running a successful business,
and in innovating new services,
products and organisations,
as well as my expertise in
managing regulatory risk, and
in showing the relevance of
‘cultural intelligence’ to large
organisations.
Home affordability
improves outside Auckand
Professor Paul Gallimore
The latest Massey
University Home
Affordability Report
underlines New
Zealand’s ‘two-track’ housing
experience.
Figures from the most recent
quarter – December 2014
to February 2015 – show an
improvement in affordability
across New Zealand of 6%, but
Auckland and three other regions
bucked this trend.
When you look at the past 12
months, houses in Auckland are
now 22% less affordable while, for
the country as a whole, the annual
deterioration in affordability is only
10.4% These figures underline
the on going two-track housing
experience of New Zealanders.
Over the past year the 10.4%
fall in affordability has been driven
by a modest 3.6% rise in house
prices and a 0.5% rise in interest
rates, which outstripped the 2.3%
increase in the average weekly
wage.
Salaries lag
But the situation in Auckland
is quite different – wages actually
rose at less than the national
average while the median house
price rose by a substantial 14%,
or $83,000.
The recent improvement in
affordability in many regions
really accentuates the high costs
in Auckland. Our largest city is
now 49% less affordable that the
rest of the country.
That is a larger gap than we
have had at any other time in the
25-year history of the Massey
Home Affordability Report.
This divergence in regional
experience is likely to continue
throughout 2015.
While house prices are currently
dropping in some regions, that is
not the case everywhere, most
notably in the country’s largest
city.
Will Auckland’s affordability
continue to move apart from the
rest of New Zealand?
Dr Paul Gallimore is Professor
of Property at the Massey
University School of Economics
and Finance. He is the author
of the ‘Home Affordability
Report.’

BUSINESSLINK
Formidable challenges begin at five
T
eaching any age level has
distinct challenges, but
for Sheba Butler, ACG
Sunderland Year 1 teacher,
it is a balancing act of creating
the environment for learning and
getting the learning done before
the concentration of five-year old
children succumbs to tiredness.
“This is the first time these children
have been to school, so everything is
new. This is something that should
not be underestimated in the life of a
five-year old. We spend a lot of time
creating a routine which makes them
feel secure and ready to learn in their
new environment,”she said.
Good Mornings
Sheba finds the concentration of
the children in her class is the best in
the morning.
In response to this, she structures
their learning day, tackling the
tough stuff in the morning.She says
that the students find that writing
is hard work, so this is a morning
activity. Things that are easier, such
Sheba Butler
as reading, happen in the afternoon.
Energy levels
Energy levels run high in this age
group and can quickly jump from
person-to-person and you have a
rowdy class before you know it.
Sheba sees this happening and creates
mini breaks to let loose this energy
with ten minutes of physical activity
like dancing. Then it is straight back
into it.
“I always try and make the learning
within the Cambridge International
Examination programme fun for the
children. I like to make games out of
things, include outside activities and
get them in different environments
for their learning. It all makes it
interesting and engaging for five-year
old minds,” Sheba said.
Innate love
ACG Sunderland Principal,
Nathan Villars said,“There are so
many characteristics that make
great teachers, but that innate love
of children and teaching is always at
the heart of it. Sheba has no shortage
of this!” Sheba said, “ I really enjoy
seeing the improvements each child
makes, each step they make and
milestone they reach shows their hard
work with their learning. Everyday is
different in the classroom; there are
always new challenges. I just love
working with the children.”
Book Week
Coming up in Sheba’s class will be
a focus on the ACG Sunderland book
week.There will be different activities
happening school wide, such as a
visiting author and a book character
parade, but in her class, each student
will get an opportunity to make
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Hillary eyes the long road to Pennsylvania Avenue
Balaji Chandramohan
Former First Lady and Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton has
expressed her desire to run for
US Presidency again in 2016.
Followers
of American
politics would
know that the bid
is not new.
It began in the
1990s when her
husband Bill,
then Governor
of Arkansas,
decided to run for the country’s top job and
sought nomination from his Democratic
Party.
Hillary’s ambition received further
Hillary Clinton: Will she make it
impetus in 2007, when she announced
her decision to seek the highest office in
2008. The Clintons became a subject of
heated debates and discussions throughout
the country.
The Preliminaries
Hillary has started her campaign in key
states such as Iowa and is on a road trip to
gain public acceptance and get
through the Democratic Party
nomination first.
If elected, she will be first
woman President of America
and inspire many others around
the world, including countries
that do not accord equal status
to women.
There is no doubt that Hillary
is a qualified candidate for the
top US job and her tenure as the
First Lady in the White House, followed
by her roles as a Senator and Secretary of
State are seen as progressive steps.
Good Diplomacy
Her performance as the chief diplomat
was on a par with many of her predecessors
including William Henry Seward, Cordell
Sure its healthy!
Delecious Mexican Vegetarian Meals
BUY ANY TWO MEALS AND
GET ONE
1. Cannot use this voucher with any other
third party discount dining programme
2. Valid from Sunday to Wednesday only.
Excluding public holidays
3. One voucher per customer (every 6 hours)
HOLA BURRITOS TAKEAWAY
Tasty Kiwi Taste Mexican Dishes.
PAKURANGA STORE
Shop 134 Pakuranga Plaza
Cnr Ti Rakau Dr & Pakuranga Rd
Ph: (09) 5766132
Hull and Henry Kissinger.
It was under her watch that New
Zealand and the United States renewed
their formal alliance following the
‘Wellington Declaration 2010,’ which set
the platform for the US Policy of moving
forward in the Asia Pacific.
Key factors
However, Americans will evaluable
their presidential candidate for 2016 based
on their ability to perceive the existing
and emerging challenges, fostering
national security, creating jobs, reducing
income disparities and addressing health,
education and other major issues.
One of the reasons why Hillary lost to
Barack Obama in the Democratic Party
primaries in 2007 was her inability to
disassociate herself from the scandals
BIRKENHEAD STORE
217 Hinemoa Street
Open 4.30pm to 9pm daily
Ph: (09) 4198692
PLEASE PRESENT THIS
VOUCHER
FOR A FREE MEAL
BUY TWO MEALS AND
ONE IS FREE
11
that rocked her husband’s years as the
President and her support to the Iraq War
in 2003.
That engagement, orchestrated by
then President George W Bush has been
considered unnecessary and arrogant.
Indian comfortable
The Indian government, people and the
Indian Diaspora may have a sympathetic
view of Hillary and accept her as the next
President, since she has advocated closer
relationship between the two countries.
Hillary Clinton’s rate of acceptance
worldwide has a lot to do with her
understanding of global issues, which
appeals to American voters and others
worldwide.
Balaji Chandramohan is our
Correspondent based in Delhi, India.
Thinking about investing in property?
Join us for our Basics of property investment seminar.
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Date: Saturday, 16 May 2015
Venue: ANZ Manukau, 67 Cavendish Drive, Manukau
To find out more and to register visit anz.co.nz/propertyunlocked
or call us on 09 252 6370.
ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited 04/15 13301-2408

BUSINESSLINK
Formidable challenges begin at five
T
eaching any age level has
distinct challenges, but
for Sheba Butler, ACG
Sunderland Year 1 teacher,
it is a balancing act of creating
the environment for learning and
getting the learning done before
the concentration of five-year old
children succumbs to tiredness.
“This is the first time these children
have been to school, so everything is
new. This is something that should
not be underestimated in the life of a
five-year old. We spend a lot of time
creating a routine which makes them
feel secure and ready to learn in their
new environment,”she said.
Good Mornings
Sheba finds the concentration of
the children in her class is the best in
the morning.
In response to this, she structures
their learning day, tackling the
tough stuff in the morning.She says
that the students find that writing
is hard work, so this is a morning
activity. Things that are easier, such
Sheba Butler
as reading, happen in the afternoon.
Energy levels
Energy levels run high in this age
group and can quickly jump from
person-to-person and you have a
rowdy class before you know it.
Sheba sees this happening and creates
mini breaks to let loose this energy
with ten minutes of physical activity
like dancing. Then it is straight back
into it.
“I always try and make the learning
within the Cambridge International
Examination programme fun for the
children. I like to make games out of
things, include outside activities and
get them in different environments
for their learning. It all makes it
interesting and engaging for five-year
old minds,” Sheba said.
Innate love
ACG Sunderland Principal,
Nathan Villars said,“There are so
many characteristics that make
great teachers, but that innate love
of children and teaching is always at
the heart of it. Sheba has no shortage
of this!” Sheba said, “ I really enjoy
seeing the improvements each child
makes, each step they make and
milestone they reach shows their hard
work with their learning. Everyday is
different in the classroom; there are
always new challenges. I just love
working with the children.”
Book Week
Coming up in Sheba’s class will be
a focus on the ACG Sunderland book
week.There will be different activities
happening school wide, such as a
visiting author and a book character
parade, but in her class, each student
will get an opportunity to make
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Hillary eyes the long road to Pennsylvania Avenue
Balaji Chandramohan
Former First Lady and Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton has
expressed her desire to run for
US Presidency again in 2016.
Followers
of American
politics would
know that the bid
is not new.
It began in the
1990s when her
husband Bill,
then Governor
of Arkansas,
decided to run for the country’s top job and
sought nomination from his Democratic
Party.
Hillary’s ambition received further
Hillary Clinton: Will she make it
impetus in 2007, when she announced
her decision to seek the highest office in
2008. The Clintons became a subject of
heated debates and discussions throughout
the country.
The Preliminaries
Hillary has started her campaign in key
states such as Iowa and is on a road trip to
gain public acceptance and get
through the Democratic Party
nomination first.
If elected, she will be first
woman President of America
and inspire many others around
the world, including countries
that do not accord equal status
to women.
There is no doubt that Hillary
is a qualified candidate for the
top US job and her tenure as the
First Lady in the White House, followed
by her roles as a Senator and Secretary of
State are seen as progressive steps.
Good Diplomacy
Her performance as the chief diplomat
was on a par with many of her predecessors
including William Henry Seward, Cordell
Sure its healthy!
Delecious Mexican Vegetarian Meals
BUY ANY TWO MEALS AND
GET ONE
1. Cannot use this voucher with any other
third party discount dining programme
2. Valid from Sunday to Wednesday only.
Excluding public holidays
3. One voucher per customer (every 6 hours)
HOLA BURRITOS TAKEAWAY
Tasty Kiwi Taste Mexican Dishes.
PAKURANGA STORE
Shop 134 Pakuranga Plaza
Cnr Ti Rakau Dr & Pakuranga Rd
Ph: (09) 5766132
Hull and Henry Kissinger.
It was under her watch that New
Zealand and the United States renewed
their formal alliance following the
‘Wellington Declaration 2010,’ which set
the platform for the US Policy of moving
forward in the Asia Pacific.
Key factors
However, Americans will evaluable
their presidential candidate for 2016 based
on their ability to perceive the existing
and emerging challenges, fostering
national security, creating jobs, reducing
income disparities and addressing health,
education and other major issues.
One of the reasons why Hillary lost to
Barack Obama in the Democratic Party
primaries in 2007 was her inability to
disassociate herself from the scandals
BIRKENHEAD STORE
217 Hinemoa Street
Open 4.30pm to 9pm daily
Ph: (09) 4198692
PLEASE PRESENT THIS
VOUCHER
FOR A FREE MEAL
BUY TWO MEALS AND
ONE IS FREE
11
that rocked her husband’s years as the
President and her support to the Iraq War
in 2003.
That engagement, orchestrated by
then President George W Bush has been
considered unnecessary and arrogant.
Indian comfortable
The Indian government, people and the
Indian Diaspora may have a sympathetic
view of Hillary and accept her as the next
President, since she has advocated closer
relationship between the two countries.
Hillary Clinton’s rate of acceptance
worldwide has a lot to do with her
understanding of global issues, which
appeals to American voters and others
worldwide.
Balaji Chandramohan is our
Correspondent based in Delhi, India.
Thinking about investing in property?
Join us for our Basics of property investment seminar.
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Date: Saturday, 16 May 2015
Venue: ANZ Manukau, 67 Cavendish Drive, Manukau
To find out more and to register visit anz.co.nz/propertyunlocked
or call us on 09 252 6370.
ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited 04/15 13301-2408

BUSINESSLINK
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
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VIEWINK
India looks East but not
far enough
India’s ‘Look East Policy’ is beginning
to yield dividends and would play a
prominent role as the country emerges
as one of the most powerful economies
of the world. However, the world’s largest
democracy is yet to fine-tune its policies
towards the region, especially bilateral ties
with New Zealand.
Reader Rahul Chopra said in an analysis
appearing in this Section that the strategic
thinking in India is that ‘Look East Policy’
will support economic transformation and
growth, particularly in the North Eastern
region.
“India has taken strategic steps to
strengthen this Policy over the years,” he
said.
India is an active participant in such
regional blocs as the East Asia Summit, the
Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and the South Pacific Forum. It
is time that the country is involved in the
economic and social development of the
countries of the Asia Pacific Rim.
Avoiding APEC
Apart from sharing a number of common
values and traditions, there is immense
potential for India and New Zealand to
foster trade, investment and exports.New
Zealand is an ideal destination for film
producers, as witnessed in recent years;and
we need more of them.
It is also time for India to consider
being a part of the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC). New Delhi has
been accused of ‘avoiding membership’
to protect its interests and farm subsidies
at the World Trade Organisation.
Narendra Modi did not accept Chinese
President Xi Jinping’s invitation to attend
the APEC Summit Meeting held in Beijing
from November 8 to 10, 2014.
An APEC communication issued just
before the Summit, said, “India now stands
as a strong candidate for entry into APEC.
However, its recent moves regarding WTO
negotiations and declining this APEC
meeting invitation present us with an India
in contradiction,” the communication said.
The flip side of domestic
violence
Efforts to tackle the rising menace
of domestic violence saw the
emergence of a new initiative in
South Auckland last week at a
fundraising dinner for ‘Gandhi Nivas.’
Although the Project, essentially a
temporary home for ‘bound persons’ with
counselling and other facilities, has been
in existence for about a year, it was only at
the dinner that it was made widely known,
partly to spread the good word and partly
to ensure that the Project continues to gain
public support.
Laudable initiative
The Editor of this newspaper is a part
of the initiative, although its true author is
Ranjna Patel, a fellow member at the South
Asian Advisory Board of the Counties
Manukau District Police. She and her
Nirvana Health Group (incorporating East
Tamaki Health Care) have worked hard
to give meaning and purpose to ‘Gandhi
Nivas.’
The services include planning safety
strategies to reduce the likelihood of family
violence. Bound persons are offered free
accommodation for the duration of the
Police Safety Order, access to further
Stopping Violence Services (SVS) and
information about other services they can
access. The SVS approach is based on
enabling people to take responsibility and
be accountable for their behaviour.
Gandhi Nivas will cater to men of Indian
origin in first stage and later work with Vic
Tamaki (who now promotes the ‘It is Not
OK Campaign and helps the Police on
Lethargic on NZ
Despite more than seven years of studies
and negotiations, India and New Zealand
do not seem to have made any progress
in moving towards free movement of
goods, services and people between the
two countries.
Indian and New Zealand should explore
new areas of participation for mutual
benefit, since they are ‘Two bookends of
Asia,’ as former Financial Express Chief
Editor Dr Sanjay Baru said at the ‘Seriously
Asia’ conference in Wellington in 2003.
Prime Minister John Key has also
expressed New Zealand’s desire to achieve
closer economic cooperation with India
with subsidies and tariffs on agriculture
and dairy products removed to facilitate
greater trade flow.
“We need to pursue the Free Trade
Agreement more aggressively,” he said.
The West moves
In the Northern hemisphere, the US,
UK and the European Union are keen to
promote better ties with ASEAN and India.
Apart from their faltering economies,
leaders of the world’s most industrialised
nations of the West perhaps have come
to realise that bilateral trade relations and
agreements with economic blocs offer
better prospects for their exports than the
doors of opportunities that the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) was expected to open.
We believe that among the lasting
benefits of such deals would be the
destruction of economic walls and
oppressive protectionist policies.
A KPMG commentary had earlier
pointed out that in the current global
economicenvironment, where there
are increasingly strong pressures for
protectionist tradepolicies in some quarters,
it is important that barriers to trade continue
to fall.
Arguably, the NZ-ASEAN free trade
pact will provide a number of cash
savingopportunities for our businesses
trading with that region.
measures to combat family violence) for
Maori and Pacific Island communities.
Gandhi Nivas can be an answer to
increasing incidence of family violence.
Concerning Community
The Indian community, otherwise known
for its placidity and trouble-free trait,
isbecoming a subject of concern with an
increasing number of cases of domestic
violence.
Many young women are being subject
to physical, mental and verbal abuse, some
attempt at suicide, while others suffer in
silence, unable or unwilling to pursue the
matter with the police or other social and
community welfare agencies that would
be ready to help.
This publication constantly receives
complaints from irate neighbours, members
of families or friends on the pain inflicted
on hapless women. Tales of untold misery
are received with increasing frequency but
there is little scope for respite or relief.
The reason for such a sorry state of affairs
among the Indian population is the victims
themselves-young women who believe
going public would be a shameful act.
Perceived stigma
They believe, quite erroneously, that a
certain blasphemy would visit upon their
homes and families if they brought their
misery into the public domain.
Nothing could be farther from truth.
Unlike perhaps some countries around the
world, the New Zealand police are beyond
reproach and encourage public interaction.
They are friendly and willing to help.
Published By Indiana Publications (NZ) Limited
P.O.Box 82394, Highland Park, Auckland 2143
Ph: (09) 533 6377 Fax: (09) 533 6378 Mob: (021) 753 699
email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz w: www.indiannewslink.co.nz
Indian Newslink © Reports and articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Indian Newslink.
All rights reserved. Indian Newslink is not responsible for claims made in advertisements.
Publisher & MD Ravin Lal│Editor Venkat Raman│Circulation Arin Lal │Printed By Horton Media Ltd
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
New Zealand appears in
India’s East Vision
It is matter of time that India, a country
of more than a billion people, becomes
aneconomic and military super power.
It is already the third largest
economy in
Purchasing
Power Parity
terms.
This sea
change(from
being a
Socialist
State,it
remains a part
of the Non-Align Movement) in India’s
fortunes has taken sometime.
However, considering its complex
history and challenges, India continues to
surprise most critiques.
Addressing issues
Post-independence focus of India’s
leadership was on transforming India
in to a nationwhere its citizens have the
opportunity to reach their full potential.
India’s leadership wanted to ensure that
issues of social and economic inequality are
addressed along with building a State that
remains economically and politically strong.
This radical economic and political
transformation was to be initiated at a
time whenIndia earned its independence
and World War II ended.
However, the cold war was still in place.
Strategic Autonomy
India chose not to align with anyone of
the camps of the cold war because it wanted
toensure that country’s decisions as a
sovereign nation were taken independently,
based on its national interests rather than
being forced by America or Russia.
This theme of Strategic Autonomy
continues at the heart of Indian Foreign
Policy.
From the start of the cold war to late
1980s, India’s focus was limited to domestic
issueswith foreign policy considered only
in the context of any effect on domestic
issues and politics.There was therefore little
engagement with other nations.
Changing Times
However, since the start of the 1990s,
India’s engagement with the globe has
grownconsiderably due to economic and
political reforms within India and the end of
the cold war. This has of course led to better
trade ties and significant rise in exports,
the effects of which are higher standard of
The man and his first flying machine
An exclusive story of an extraordinary Aucklanderd
Second in a series of several parts
Do you believe in life after death?
If you do, have you had any
flashback of a life that you had
led 100 years ago? Were you
in the court of Napoleon Bonaparte in
1805? You were perhaps one of the Gopis
in Krishna’s Vrindavan more than 5000
years ago?
Among them is 83-year-old Laurence
Bingham, who lives in Auckland. His
self-narrated story will appear in several
editions of Indian Newslink.
Flying machine
The first experience I had was in 1942
when I was ten years old. We were living
in a rented house in Rangiora, a small
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Centre)
lends his hands to ASEAN Leaders at the 2014
Summit, his first after being elected in May.
living, thousands of Indians coming out of
poverty and increased capabilities of the
Indian Government.
One of the key policies to emerge from
the 1991 Indian reforms was the ‘Look
East Policy.’ The strategic thinking behind
implementing this Policy was to support
thecountry’s economic transformation and
growth, particularly for the North Eastern
region.
Overtime, India has taken strategic steps
towards strengthening its Look East Policy.
ASEAN+6
One of these was to accept the Association
of South East Asian Nations (Brunei
Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos
PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and six
other nations (ASEAN+6, comprising
China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia
and New Zealand) as the most economic
grouping and as the regional framework
towards an Asian economic community.
This opened up opportunities for India
and all other member states of ASEAN+6 to
negotiate trade agreements with each other.
For India, the ‘Look East Policy’ has
led to greater economic integration with
East Asia,and with the Indian government’s
strong focus on this policy, integration is
likely to grow. As India looks to further its
interests in Asia,it hopes to form an Asiacentric
economic block that may well
include Australia and New Zealand.
Trade growth
New Zealand’s economy is built on
external trade.
Even before it was colonised, New
Zealand citizens traded goods produced
locally for items from overseas producers
and merchants.
town in Canterbury north of Christchurch.
One summer evening, I was alone
playing on the front lawn. I had few toys
and wanted an aeroplane. I had a square of
cardboard cut from a cereal packet, about
eight inches (20 cm) on a side.
I punched holes in each corner and tied
a length of sewing cotton through each
hole and knotted the four together. Held in
one hand, it could be spun and wound up.
Released, the cardboard would unwind
by spinning.
This was my imaginary flying machine.
Gradually a strange feeling came over me
and I could ‘see’ in my mind a real flying
machine. It was like a platform with a
14
Over the years, this practice of
exchanging goods and services
led to broadening of the product
base, so much so that starting
from 1930s through to 1980s trade
became anincreasingly important
component of foreign policy.
The objective guiding
New Zealand’s foreign policy
historically and at present is to
pursue “as much market access
for its export goods as possible.”
In continuation of this objective,
successive governments
pursued free trade agreements.
Some examples of free trade
agreements that this country has signed or
is negotiating are the New Zealand China
Free Trade Agreement, the New Zealand
Australia Free Trade Agreement and the
ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
New Zealand has also completed
negotiations with South Korea for FTA
and its negotiations with India,USA and
other countries continue.
Emerging Superpower
New Zealand considers India as an
emerging Asian Superpower.
The country’s vision for India is to
become a core trade, economic and political
partner.
The positives shared are Commonwealth
heritage, legal system, business language,
democratic traditions, sporting passions and
people-to-people links.
India is one of the world’s best
performing economies for a quarter century.
In the past two decades, the size of the
middle class has quadrupled and 1% of the
country’s poor have crossed the poverty
line every year.
These developments present huge
opportunities for New Zealand to provide
quality products and meet increasing
demand.
Rahul Chopra is a postgraduate in
Public Policy from AUT University,
Auckland. Climate Policy, Climate
Change, Environment and Spirituality
are among the subjects that evince his
interest in research and analysis.
Readers may respond to editor@
indiannewslink.co.nz
Please read our Editorial, “Looking East,
India collects dividends’ in this Section.
revolving part underneath it.
At that time, I did not think of it as a
past life - just a feeling that somewhere,
somehow Ihad flown such a machine. I
never told anyone about it, later forgot
about it.
I remembered the incidence in 1948
when the model aircraft that ‘I built and
flew’ started to include helicopters. It was
not a helicopter but similar.
The first memory that I had that was
certainly from a past life without any
doubt about it, which was a revealing
and emotional experience, happened in
1948 when I was sixteen; and that follows.
List of Past Lives
(In order of rememberance)
Japanese woman ninja; Rhododrendon and bees (life and death on the Steppes); Earthquake in Gok; Indian Tantra two spirits
revealed; Egyptian village life and death; Hunting the European rhino; Chan Buddhist life in China; Classical Musician in Pre-
World War France; Philadelphia, USA, ‘The Flapper Era’; Inca- exteriorisation - prediction of Spanish invasion 16th century; Xi
Xia Kingdom in what is now North West China; Samurai followed by retirement; Death at seven years in a flood Han Chinese;
Learning from a Guru in India; Roman mother with children in 100 AD; As a woman in 18th Century France; Prehistoric - early
Holocene
(to be continued)

COMMUNITYLINK
A new abode for Lord Rama in West Auckland
Apurv Shukla
One of the biggest temples
in New Zealand devoted
to Lord Rama and other
Deities is set to open its
doors to the community on June 13,
2015.
With a number of common
facilities,
the new
Ram Mandir
Complex
will appeal
to members
of other
communities
and faiths,
reinforcing the
belief of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’
(The World is One Family).
Conceptualised by the Shri Ram
Mandir Trust in October 2011, the
Project, incorporating an extensive
Temple Complex, aims to create a
place of worship and a venue for
religious, community, social and
domestic festivals and events.
Located at 11 Brick Street in the
West Auckland suburb of Henderson,
West Auckland, the Mandir Complex
intends to be the home of Indian
culture and account for the largest
community hall of the Indian
community in Auckland.
Trust Chairman Pravin Kumar
(Managing Director of Lotus Foreign
Exchange) said that the 2366 Square
Meters Plot was purchased in 2012
with funds donated by a Trustee.
According to our earlier report, the
cost of land was about $1 million.
Truth triumphs
“The total cost of the Project is
expected to be about $5 million,
making the Ram Mandir one of the
most expensive Hindu Temples in
the country. We have had several
challenges and problems, each of
which was overcome with the Grace
of Lord Rama. The Temple in fact
personifies our God, with the lesson
that sincerity and hard work will
always be rewarded with success and
pursuit of excellence with truth and
honesty will always be victorious.
This Temple is a testimony to the
fact that Good always wins,” he
said, speaking to Indian Newslink
last week.
He was removing scaffolding from
the Main Dome as this correspondent
met him on Sunday, April 26, 2015.
We have often been told that apart
from being his dream project, Mr
Kumar has ‘moved heaven and earth,’
to initiate, implement and complete
the Project. He moved the heavens
for timely rain and the earth as a part
of construction works.
Private Capital
Mr Kumar and his fellow Trustees
and a growing circle of friends raised
the requisite capital through private
The Main Dome
sources. These include donations,
sponsorships, and fundraising events
conducted over the past three years.
Mr Kumar and his Trustees have
relentlessly pursued efforts to ensure
that construction work, which began
with the Bhoomi Pooja on July 21,
2012 (reported in Indian Newslink
August, 1, 2012 issue) never stops
due to paucity of financial, material
or human resources. Towards this
objective, Mr Kumar and other
Trustees organised a number of
programmes and events to raise
awareness and money.
Widespread awareness
One such was the ‘Ramamathon,’a
35-kilometre marathon held on
November 30, 2014. It started at the
Ramakrishna Temple in the South
Auckland and culminated at the new
Temple site. This initiative attracted
hundreds of patrons,contributing to
this endeavour.
Project Details
The Ram Mandir Complex will
accommodate a three-storey building.
Designed by Architect Manoj
Marble Elephants welcome devotees
Dutta,it would be a stunning piece
of Architecture, highlighting the
social and community significance
of a Temple.
Learn about Lord Vishnu through marble
wall hangings
Mr Kumar said that workers from
New Zealand, India and Fiji are
passionately and tirelessly working on
the intricate wood and marble work
inside the Ram Mandir.
“The Trust imported nine containers
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
15
of marble and teak wood from India.
Eight beautiful domes embellish the
Mandir and visitors will be welcomed
by two marble Elephants adorning
both sides of the entry,” he said.
The Deities
A Four-foot statue of Lord Rama,
along with his Goddess Sitalakshmi
will occupy the centre of the Mandir.
As well as the Shiva Lingam, the
Temple will be the residence for
LordShiva, Goddess of Power and
Valour Parvathi and Durga,Goddess
of Wealth Mahalakshmi Goddess
of Knowledge Saraswathiand Lord
Krishna.
Alongside the Deities, framed
marble wall hangings will depict the
lives of Lord Vishnu, Lord Rama and
Lord Krishna.Devotees can pray to
Lord Hanuman housed in a stonecoloured
Mandir on arrival.
This is symbolic of the legend that
Lord Hanuman, the greatest friend
and worshipper of Lord Rama will
always be near his God, protecting
and serving Him.
Consecration Ceremony
The most important ceremony
conducted before the opening of
a Temple and commencement of
worship is ‘Prana Pratishta,’ the
Hindu term for Consecration.
The ceremony will be held from
June 6 to 12, 2015 at the Mandir.Yagya
Shalas will be set up to felicitate the
Ceremony, giving devotees a chance
to take part in prayers during the day
and watch Cultural Programmes in
the evenings.
The Temple will be officially
inaugurated on June 13, 2015
Further details will be published in
our next issue.
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Ph: (09) 533 6377 • Mob: 021 753 699
Email: ravin@indiannewslink.co.nz

COMMUNITYLINK
The eternal issue of right to die
Shriram Iyer’s ‘Let Me Go’clings to honesty and loyalty
Venkat Raman
Writing a book is always a challenge,
especially if it is not the main
profession of the author but a
young man across the Tasman
has been showing the hallmarks of a successful
novelist over the past three years.
Melbourne based Shriram Iyer, who New
Zealanders would remember as a good singer
rendering religious, classical and film songs, has
done it again with the release of his second book
titled, ‘Let Me Go.’
I have not yet read the book (as I await a copy)
but from the synopsis appearing on its cover
and the note sent by Shriram are indicative of
its relevance to the current global debate on the
desirability or otherwise of permitting people
terminally ill people to switch off from this world.
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The subject is as much emotional as it indeed
is controversial but if you have seen ‘Whose
Life is it Anyway?’ a 1981 film starring Richard
Dreyfuss, you would get the idea, and place
yourself in a dilemma.
Cruel fate
‘Let me Go’ is the story of Indira Kelkar,a
free-spirited and rebellious woman who would,
at the first sight, appear to be the ideal woman of
the world. She has doting parents, a great friend
(Anshuman Kale)a man of her dreams (Kapil
Chauhan).
Did someone say fate can be cruel? They must
have meant Indira, for the much-loved woman
is trapped in a hospital bed, desperate to get out
and end it all.
As Shriram says, she suffers from the
‘locked-in syndrome’witha euthanasia appeal.
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Shriram Iyer
“After Kapil walks into her life, things quickly
spiral out of control. Following the sudden
death of her father, Indira isentwined in Kapil’s
dangerous and intriguing world of drugs and
alcohol and becomes a victim to his abuse. One
thing leads to another and a pregnant Indira meets
with a car accident where she loses everything
close to her. Kapil and their unborn baby die in
the crash and she slips into a locked-in state, a
conscious coma. She then tries to battle locked-in
syndrome, having lost all motor function and is
able to communicate only with her eyes. She
can see and hear the world interact with her, but
cannot give anything back.”
Twists and turns
What happens to Anshuman? How does he
cope with an increasingly difficult situation,
holding off his plans overseas and the ambitions
of his fiancé?
He becomes a storyteller, oblivious to the
untoward events that occurred in Indira’s life.
Says Shriram, “Indira is able to smile for the
first time in six years, just the wayAnshuman
had described the beginning of her recovery in
fiction, leaving the reader to interpret if his novel
turns out to be prophetic.”
The main themes of the book revolve around
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
16
Loyalty, Hope and Friendship.
We had reviewed Shriram’s first book, ‘Wings
of Silence’ in our September 1, 2012 issue, saying
that it wasthe sort of book that keeps you occupied
from the prologue to epilogue, with its fast-paced
narration of the goings-on in an ordinary family
of two siblings of extraordinary contradictions.
Novelist prowess
“If you resist the temptation of reading the
synopsis, you would find it unputdownable.”
‘Let me Go’ may reinforce the young man’s
prowess as a novelist.
He is the book’s publisher as well, since such
a role would allow him to interact directly with
his readers and enable him to be more nimble
than a large publisher.
Purchase process
The digital version (eBook) has been available
on www.gumroad.com while Shriram works out
the details of a paperback version.
The Book can be purchased on www.amazon.
com or directly from the author (shriram2.iyer2@
gmail.com)
Shriram said that he is already working on his
third book, which would be a fictional version of
India’s great epic, ‘The Mahabharata.’
2015
8th Indian Newslink
Indian Business Awards
CALLING
FOR
ENTRIES
CATEGORIES:
1. Business Excellence in Retail Trade
2. Business Excellence in Innovation
3. Business Excellence in Marketing
4. Business Excellence in Customer Service
5. Business Excellence in ICT
6. Best Small Business
7. Best Medium Sized Business
8. Best Large Business
9. Business Excellence in International
Business with India
10. Best Financial Advisor-
Mortgage & Insurance (New)
11. Best Accountant of the Year
12. Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year
13. Best Businesswoman of the Year
Supreme Business of the Year Award (All entries will be entered for this category)
Enter up to any three of the above first nine categories. Entries to the ‘Best Accountant of the Year,’
‘Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ and ‘Best Businesswoman of the Year’ can also be by nomination
(see website for details). Download Entry forms from www.inliba.com or write to editor@indiannewslink.co.nz
Completed entries must be sent on or before Sunday, August 31, 2015 to iba2015@ignitionpartner.com
Winners will be presented with their Awards at a Gala Black Tie Dinner on Monday, November 23, 2015 at the
Sky City Convention Centre, Auckland City, details of which will be announced later.
Conditions of Entry:
Entries must be in electronic format sent by email. Those sent by post, fax or other means will not be accepted. The decision of the judges would
be final and no correspondence will be entertained in this connection. The management and staff of Indian Newslink and the supporting and
sponsoring organisations are not eligible to enter the Awards.
Free Workshops Please attend our Free Workshops on ‘How to file a good entry’ as follows:
Please attend our Free Workshops on ‘How to file a good entry’ as follows:
1. Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 4 pm
BNZ Partners, Level 1, 86 Highbrook Drive, East Tamaki
2. Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 4 pm
BNZ Partners Board Room, 373 Great North Road, Henderson, West Auckland
3. Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 4 pm
Level 8, Deloitte Centre, 80 Queen Street, Auckland City
(Workshop in The Board Room, Level 7; please report at Reception at Level 8)
To Register please email editor@indiannewslink.co.nz
Indian Newslink
P O Box 82394 Highland Park, Manukau 2143
Phone (09) 5336377 • info@indiannewslink.co.nz
www.indiannewslink.co.nz • www.inliba.com

PAPATOETOE BUSINESS
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Put your best thoughts to develop Papatoetoe
Len Brown
It is an important time in
Papatoetoe’s history right nowa
time for people who call this
wonderful historic place home, as
I once did, to shape its exciting future.
Your local Board is asking you all
to have your say in not only what
changes and developments you would
like to see in the immediate future, but
also in the next three decades.
Growing up in Papatoetoe certainly
shaped my future. I have my fondest
memories growing up with my four
sisters and brother, organising the
backyard Cricket and Rugby games
with our neighbours.
These years formed the base for
my early interest in the community.
Community strength
My teachers at Papatoetoe
Intermediate were the most influential
in my school life.They opened my
eyes up to the wider world and
tweaked my social conscience. They
were pivotal in bringing out the sense
of community compassion and the
desire for community change at a
local level.
That sense of community is as
strong as ever today in Papatoetoe and
the Council is committed to ensuring
that continues to strengthen.
Heritage Trail
The area is of great historical
significance to Auckland – much of
which was celebrated in 2012, when
Papatoetoe celebrated its 150 years of
civic life. I hope that you have taken
the time to enjoy the Heritage Trail,
which was completed last year.
The trail acknowledges aspects of
Maori and colonial histories in the
area. It identifies a range of foundation
buildings and areas including the
Tamaki River, the Great South Road,
Hunters Corner and Old Papatoetoe
to the Kohuora wetlands.
This trail features a selection
of heritage sites and well-known
landmarks that help us to understand
and honour Papatoetoe’s rich history
and great community spirit.
Today, the area is equally rich with
a mix of cultures.
The Otara-Papatoetoe Local
Board area is of special significance
to Auckland’s Indian community.
The area is now home 15,459
Indian people according to the latest
Census(2013),an impressive 65%
increase in the Indian population
The Vintage Market in Papatoetoe (Picture by Dasham Bedi, Dee Bee Photography)
The Papatoetoe Town Hall (Picture courtesy: Auckland Council)
since 2006.
This is what I love most about
our City; the sheer dynamism that
the mix of culturesbrings. Auckland
is enriched with a unique energy,
creativity and diversity for it.
Important Plan
It is time to look forward and
August is a very significant month
for the Papatoetoe community to have
its say on planning for the future.
Submissions close at 5pm on
August 6 on the Otara-Papatoetoe
Local Board Plan.
The plan is the strategic three-year
document, which gives direction to
the priorities andpreferences of the
community.
It is an exciting time for Otara-
Papatoetoe with major developments
and initiatives planned, including the
revitalisation of Old Papatoetoe and
Hunters Corner town centres.
The Plan is to improve roads
around the town centres, footpaths,
parks, public art, libraries, community
centres and halls, further improving
17
their general appearance, convenience
and sense of public safety.
In particular, the Plan is to build
on Old Papatoetoe’s railway town
heritage and continueto develop
Hunters Corner as a sports and
entertainment hub.
This is your chance to influence
the initiatives your local board will
focus on for the next three years and
beyond.
Draft Area Plan
Later in the month, submissions
close on the Draft Area Plan for
Otara-Papatoetoe, looking further into
the future and designed to support the
future growth and development of the
area for the next five to 30 years.
The draft area plan identifies
a vision and nine key moves or
opportunities for significant change in
the area over the next three decades,
and will consider the following
themes: heritage, natural environment,
town centres, business and recreation,
transport and infrastructure.
It will help to achieve Otara-
Papatoetoe’s vision of being the
most livable community in Auckland.
Submission on the Draft Area Plan
close at 5pm on August 17.
For more information, please visit
www.shapeauckland.co.nz where
you can find a Hindi translation of
the Board plan, plus information
on community meetings at which
you canmeet with your local Board
members to find out more.
I encourage you to make the most of
both of these important opportunities
to have yoursay on the Papatoetoe you
want for you and your family’s future.
Len Brown is Mayor of Auckland
City. The above article is exclusive
to Indian Newslink.
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PAPATOETOE BUSINESS
Fast growing suburb attracts old and new
Toetoe land across East Tamaki
Venkat Raman
One of the most significant
characteristics of cities and their
suburbs in New Zealand is their
colourful history, dating back to
the early settlers. Most of them
have undergone vast changes in
demography, lifestyle and environment
but miraculously retain their original
flavour of simplicity, friendliness and
the spirit of good neighbourhood.
Among them is Papatoetoe in the
heart of Manukau.
The historic Town Hall in Old Papatoetoe
The suburb is today one of the most
important business districts of Greater
Auckland, with an increasing number
of retailers, professionals, service
providers and restaurants establishing
their presence to capture the evergrowing
market potential. Over the
past three years, Papatoetoe in general
and Hunters Corner in particular, has
begun to challenge Mt Roskill as the
‘Haven of Indian Shopping.’
Papatoetoe literally means ‘Toetoe
Flat’ and in the early days of European
settlement, the township’s name
was (mis) spelt ‘Papatoitoi’ being
a phonetic interpretation of Maori
pronunciation.
It is likely that in its original state, it
The arrival of a Circus heralded a festive
season. This picture, taken in 1962 shows
elephants on George Street
was a large flat (and possibly swampy
in parts) area of ‘Toetoe.’
Strategic location
Papatoetoe draws its character from
its flat landscape and strategic location
ontransport routes. A key feature to
emerge from the historical research
was the influence of those routes on
Papatoetoe’s urban form.
The European era saw the
construction of the Great South Road,
which served as a key military route
between Auckland and Waikato during
the 1850s and 1860s.
The railway line arrived in 1875 and
in the 1920s became a popular form
of transport to Auckland’s central
business district.
The urban form that was developed
in these times followed land-holding
boundaries but tended to be laid out
in a way that suited pedestrians and
cyclists and even those on horseback.
This persisted until the 1950s when
the bus became a more favoured form
of public transport and Papatoetoe
started to emerge as a dormitory
suburb.
But the Southern Motorway was
extended to Papatoetoe in the 1960s
and sincethat time the private motorcar
has dominated the development of the
area.
Maori history
The portage between the Manukau
and Waitemata harbours in the
vicinity of present day Portage Road
in Papatoetoe was used by the Tainui
waka in its exploration of Aotearoa.
Later, the Tamaki River became a
major route for the transport of goods
and people between the Waitemata
and Manukau Harbours until the
construction of the Great South Road
in 1863.
The portage and the Tamaki River
were heavily used by waka, taking
goods such as vegetables to the
Auckland markets up until 1863. Some
reports indicate that up to 2000 waka
regularly used the Tamaki.
It was possible that prior to the
arrival of Europeans, many Maori
settlements and gardens existed in the
vicinity of this region, especially on the
fertile volcanic soils around Kohoura
crater and the headwaters of the Pukaki
Creek tothe west of Old Papatoetoe.
The crater was also a source of eels
and fish for local Maori.
Landmarks
Papatoetoe’s landmarks tend to be
built-features that reinforce its history,
including the Town Hall,
the Railway Station and
community murals, rather
than natural features as
the area is largely flat
without views of nearby
elevated ground.
The facilities tend to
be orientated towards
sports and recreation and
health,which reinforced
the family character of
the area.
The routes people used to get around
the area were also important to their
perception of the region’s attributes.
Great South Road, Kolmar Road,
St George Street and Shirley Road
were seen asimportant traffic routes,
extolling the characteristics of the area.
These are significant because they
run through the ‘Golden Circle’ area of
Papatoetoe, epitomising the character
of the area with its solid ‘brick and tile’
homes on spacious, well- established
sections with many mature trees.
Papatoetoe today
Over time, civic functions and
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
The Tamaki River characterises the Papatoetoe suburb
18
buildings have tended to be centred
in OldPapatoetoe with commercial,
retail and sporting activities clustered
near Hunters Corner.
This complementary form of
development persists to the current
day and is a fundamental element of
the character of the area.
This is a form of recording the
spatial images people have of a place
based on landmarks, facilities, routes
and characteristics.
These were derived from the
community workshops with local
stakeholders.
Anniversary
w
Former Documentation Officer of
Immigration New Zealand

PAPATOETOE BUSINESS
Healthy competition lifts
service standards
Immigration Matters NZ Limited
An Immigration Adviser who
claims 100% success in cases
related to Partnership and 96%
on other cases as an overall
success rate must have a long line-up of
applicants and potential immigrants with
hopes of being included in these lists.
Immigration Matters New Zealand
Limited, a Papatoetoe based company,
probably does.
“We are working with full
determination, offering all services, at a
low fee. Clients consider my knowledge
of Immigration New Zealand (INZ)
matters significant in our operations,”
Director Jagjeet Singh Sidhu said.
Rising demand
Established in 2014, the Company has
been experiencing increasing demand for
services such as Deportation Appeals,
Immigration and Protection Tribunal
Appeals and Resolution Branch cases,
in addition to other immigration issues.
Migrating to New Zealand as a
Permanent Resident in 2003, Mr Sidhu
worked in INZ, understood its policies and
the way in which applications for various
visas are processed.
“The job gave me opportunities to
understand immigration policies of New
Zealand, which I am able to apply while
handling applications for clients,” he said.
Rich experience
As a Licensed Immigration Advisor
(authorised by the Immigration Advisers
Authority- IAA), Mr Sidhu brought to
his Company several years of experience
in INZ as Documentation Officer,
strengthened by a postgraduate degree
in Commerce from India and experience
as an officer of the Central Bureau of
Investigations (CBI).
Immigration Matters specialises in
Jagjeet Singh Sidhu
advising applicants who are overstayers,
and those applying for Work, Partnership,
Family, Residence, Skilled Migrant
Category and other types of visas. The
Company also appeals to the Associate
Immigration Minister for special
directions on ‘difficult cases,’ including
those of refugees and domestic category.
According to Mr Sidhu, the current
licensing regime for immigration advisers
is working well within New Zealand but
not overseas.
Unhealthy competition has had its
adverse effects. Some Immigration
Advisers have jumped into the fray
without any knowledge of the industry
or experience in serving clients. However,
people are smart and they are able to
choose the adviser who offers quality and
professional services honestly,” he said.
JagjitSingh Sidhu and be reached on
(09) 3920079, (09) 2775804 or on 029-
7707979. His office is located at 137
Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland
Women of Indian origin
have begun to sparkle
in the beauty, hair care
and skincare industry
and apart from owning and managing
highly successful businesses, they
have been winning high honours at
our Business Awards.
Pravin Chaudhary, Director
of Hair Point Hunters Plaza, is a
woman with foresight and spirit of
adventure. Combining a penchant
for high service standards, she is
proud of her team of 12 qualified
professionals who aim to optimise
customer satisfaction.
Unique Style
“Since we purchased an ongoing
business in 2005, we have added our
own unique style of customer care,
even as we embellish with hair care
and skin care. We take our customers
seriously and their satisfaction is the
most important factor in our success.
I am also the receptionist here and
love the job as it brings me in to
direct contact with people,” Pravin
said.
Other Businesses
While Hair Port Hunters Plaza
celebrating its tenth anniversary
this month, Pravin is equally proud
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Successful business makes a point
Pravin Chaudhary
Accounting practice with
ethical credit
ABC Business Solutions
Limited specialises in
providing the highest
quality accounting,
business advisory and taxation service
with individual attention that larger
firms cannot provide.
The Principals of the practice
believe in being approachable and take
a real interest in the clients business
growth and development.
“The firm aims to form close
relationships with our clients
enabling us to understand their unique
circumstances and customise the
service as provided.”
No matter how successful your
business is the absence of accounting
procedures and systems not only can
throw the activity out of gear but also
land you in trouble with the Inland
Revenue Department.
Professional advice need not come
with a huge price tag; the proof is ABC
Business Solutions Limited.
As well as accounting advice,tax
planning, the firm advices on
statutory compliance, financial
and management reporting, budget
development, corporate and personal
19
of other businesses that she owns,
all accounting for a complement of
more than 30 staff. These include
‘Freedom Hair,’ marking its fifth
anniversary at Hunters Plaza this
year, ‘Kiwi Yo’ in Manukau and
two Barber Shops.
A native of Sigatoka (Fiji), Pravin
arrived in New Zealand in 2006, and
since then she has been promoting
and expanding the beauty and hair
business.
“Competition has become very
intense and customers today have a
wider choice than ever before. We
have maintained and even improved
our market share over the past ten
years, thanks to our loyal customers
and qualified and motivated staff. I
am confident that we will continue
to progress and expand in the years
ahead,” she said.
taxation, cashflow management and
forecasting and development and
review of systems of internal control.
As the firm caters to clients
throughout the country and within
various industries, it appreciates that all
clients have unique challenges. Their
aim is always to provide professional
ongoing support at competitive rates.
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PAPATOETOE BUSINESS
Glittering experience in Papatoetoe
Sona Sansaar
When Sona Sansaar opened
its branch in Papatoetoe
(172 Great South Road
at Hunters Corner) two
years ago, it inaugurated a glittering
chapter of quality products and service
in South Auckland.
It also fulfilled a long-cherished
desire of its owner Harish Lodhia,
paying a silent tribute to his father, the
late Shantial Amarsee Lodhia, whose
vision, ambition and other qualities were
his guiding light.
These qualities, with hard work
and honesty earned him and his craftsmanship
popularity and within a few
decades, he had grown to become the
owner of the largest 22-Carat jewellery
showroom in the Southern Hemisphere
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with four branches in Fiji, one each for
his four sons (the youngest of who is
Harish).
The drive to seek geographic spread,
fuelled by the growing political instability
in Fiji, took the Lodhia family
overseas. Today, the Lodhia family has
successful jewellery business in Australia
(Sydney and Brisbane), Fiji (Suva),
New Zealand (Auckland) and the US
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advice.
The showroom in Papatoetoe
managed by Jayanti Lodhia (Harish’s
brother), as its bigger Mt Roskill counterpart,
is known for unique ambience,
extensive range of gold jewellery, nine,
14, 18, 22 and 24 Carat gold in white,
yellow and rose, oxidised gold, platinum,
stainless steel, diamonds, precious
and semi-precious and coloured stones,
pearls, silver and other items. It attracts
hundreds of discerning customers from
greater Auckland region, North Island
and other parts of the country.
Home for Coffee and chat
New Zealand specialises
in coffee houses that are
ideal venues for people
to get to know each other,
exchange information and even conduct
business deals.
With their pleasant ambience and
friendly service, these coffee houses
are known to generate goodwill and
understanding.
The ‘Coffee House’ located on
Great South Road in Hunters Plaza
(Papatoetoe), opposite Countdown
and beside ASB Bank is one such.
Reopened under new management
in November 2014, it has quickly
established itself as the ‘room to chat
and spread friendship’ throughout the
working week and over the weekends.
The ‘Coffee House’ is also a place
for families. As well as offering an
excellent blend of coffee, fair trade
and organic that is known for great
taste, the outlet offers cakes, sandwiches
and snacks that are delicious
and healthy.
Residents and businesses in the
area say that the ‘Coffee House’ has
endeared itself as the location for
birthday parties, private functions
and even meetings.
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
20
“From a cultural standpoint, the
Coffee House also serves as a centre
of social interaction. It provides members
of the community with a place to
congregate, talk, write, read, entertain
one another and spend quality time
either individually or in small groups
of two or three people. It also serves
as an informal club for many of us,”
a patron said
Illegal lessor fined $60,000
The Environment Court
has found in favour of
Auckland Council in
a long-running case
dealing with illegal housing
units in Mt Roskill and Mt
Albert.
In September 2014,
Auckland Council issued
abatement notices to Madhav
Karmarkarfor illegally renting
out his Mt Roskill and Mt
Albert properties as multiple
dwellingswhen they were
only permitted to be single
dwellings.
Lost appeal
Mr Karmarkar appealed
against these notices to the
Environment Court but last
fortnight theEnvironment
Court declined the appeals
and confirmed the abatement
notices.
The court also declined an
application from him for the
court to declare that one of the
houses was allowed to hold two
households.
Auckland Council Resource
Consents Compliance Manager
Stefan Naude said that the
Court’s decision reinforced
Council’s approach to
unauthorised housing units.
“In these cases, several
buildings had been converted
into multiple flats in
contravention of the relevant
district plan rules and building
code standards. Property
owners need to understand that
they have an obligation to meet
the minimum standards for
housing quality and liveability,
and our officers will follow
up cases to ensure that these
standards are met,”Mr Naude
said.
Conviction 2013
In September 2013, Mr
Karmarkar and his companies,
Jayashree Limited and
Jayashree Corporation
Limited, were convicted
for offences against the
Resource Management Act by
establishing multiple residential
units within buildings, which
were only authorised as single
dwellings.
He and his companies were
collectively fined $60,000 for
those offences.
Auckland Council Press
Release on April 24, 2015
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COMMUNITYLINK
Hospitals must inject
compassion of humanity
Jane Silloway-Smith
Now what is wrong with
your dad?”I was asked for
the seventh time that day.
I could not believe
it. We had been at the hospital
for over six hours at that point.
My dad had not been
doing so well.Specialist after
specialist passed us along
withworried faces but saying
nothing.
Finally, we came to the
specialist who put words
to the looks: pneumonia,
bad pneumonia, your-dadmight-be-dead-tomorrowpneumonia.
Poor Father
By this point my dad, whose
body had been through a lot
in the past few months with a
bone marrow transplant and
the chemo and total-body
irradiation that preceded it,
was almost completely out of
it: hairless, skin sagging from
all the weight he had lost, pale
as a ghost, barely able to pick
his head up off his shoulders,
let alone talk to most of the
doctors we had seen.
It was left to me to navigate
our way through the hospital
system, and, now, to tell the
staff in the special isolation
ward they sent us to just why
he was there again.
Gross indifference
To the hospital, my dad
was a patient, an individual
with a problem that they were
tasked with solving. It did not
matter how long we waited;
it did not matter how many
times we had to repeat the
same information; it did not
seem to matter to them how
scared I was or how much
the whole process took out of
him. Such, unfortunately, is
too many people’s experience
with intensive medical care.
New Experiment
That is why, it is so
exciting to hear about a new
experiment in patient care
going on in four hospitals in
America.
The experiment seeks to
make fundamental changes
in the way intensive care
units(ICUs) manage their
work and their relationships
with their patients; with the
goal ofimproving patients’
experience and the level of
care they receive.
The hospitals say that they
hope to reduce the occurrence
of ‘preventable harms’ to
patients, and they are ranking
loss of dignity and respect
at the same level of harm
asblood clots and infections.
Digital connections
Nurses and doctors at these
hospitals now take the time
to get to know the patients
and their families, and they
share this information with
each other through a system
of speciallydesigned iPads.
They ask questions
like,“What is the most
important thing we can do for
you today?” listen, pass along,
and heed patient preferences
for their care.
In short, they look at
patients as people and not just
medical puzzles to be solved.
We are hearing a lot lately
about the dignity of the
seriously ill.
Intensive medical care
can be extremely invasive,
impersonal, and sometimes
downright painful. If this
US experiment goes well,
however, such experiences
may become things of the
past.
I look forward to such
initiatives, giving a solid
injection of compassionate
humanity to the heroic work
of our medical professionals;
preserving the dignity of their
patients by caring for them as
whole people.
Jane Silloway Smith is
Research Manager at
Maxim Institute, Auckland
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COMMUNITYLINK
It would be realisation of a dream
for hundreds of devotees of Lord
Murugan, known by various other
names including Subramaniyar, as
a Temple devoted to the ‘Conqueror
of Evil’ opens in Auckland on May
3, 2015.
Three days of religious observances
and festivities will commence
on May 1, culminating in Maha
Kumbabishegam on the final day.
Swaminathan, who bears one of the
names of Lord Murugan, is the Priest
at the Temple. He is also known as
Harish Venkat.
The opening of the Temple would in
particular bring pride and satisfaction
to Ilango Krishnamoorthy, Director of
Mercury Printz and President of the
New Zealand Hindu Temple Society
which owns the Temple, who has
struggled with various challenges
over the past four years, not the
least of which were those involving
compliance and finance.
Great environment
He and his team have
in essence created an
environment for worship
and learning as the Temple
Complex, located at 69 Tidal
Road in Mangere is used for
educational, cultural, social
and religious activities as well.
“As well as providing
a more spacious place of
worship for our Lord, we
hope to make the Temple
complex a rendezvous for
the elderly to meet, exchange
greetings and spend quality
time. This will also be a
Community Centre teaching
Tamil and Telugu, Reading
and other useful activities,”
Mr Krishnamoorthy said.
The Costs
Built at an estimated cost of
$675,000, comprising a bank loan of
$110,000 and the balance raised as
interest free private loan, the built-up
area comprising 330 square meters, is
perched on 2198 Square Meters land.
The total project cost, including
all works, is expected to be about
$750,000.
Mr Krishnamoorthy acknowledged
the support and contributions of a
growing number of people from the
community, with special reference to A
Mahasivam, Gopalan Iyengar, Jeevan
Siva Thambiah, Dr Krishnamurthi,
Subramani Goundar, Vai Ravindan,
Dr Varadarajan,Veerasamy Naidu, the
late Venugopalan and Yogesh Raja.
Some milestones
He said that the late Satguru Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami,162nd Preceptor
of the Nandinatha Sampradaya’s
Kailasa Parampara initiated the New
Zealand Hindu temple Society Inc,
which was incorporated in 1996.
“Since then the Society
has achieved significant
achievements, the first of
which occurred in 1999 when
Gurudeva presented us with the
Idol of Lord Ganesha, the largest
in the Southern Hemisphere.
Two years later (2001), we
purchased the property located
at 41 Stanhope Road in Ellerslie
raising a private loan and in
2005, purchased the Tidal Road
property. We initiated plans to
carve the idols of Deities in
granite,” he said.
Presiding Deities
Mr Krishnamoorthi said
that the Shiva Lingam and
the Presiding Deities of
Subramaniyar, Venkateswarar
(Balaji), Bhairavar, Hanuman,
Muneeswaran, Madurai Veeran,
Bhuvaneswari, Saraswathi,
Garudalvaar arrived in 2012.
“We also received the ‘Vahanas’
(Vehicles) of various Deities including
Peacock, Mushik (mouse) and Nandi.
Construction began during the same
year. We believe that Madurai Veeran,
the First Grama Devata (Patron Deity)
of New Zealand, has been guiding us
graciously since construction began
in 2012,” Mr Krishnamoorthy said.
A unique opportunity
Among the other officials of the
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Special Prayers mark opening of Murugan Temple
Venkat Raman
22
New Zealand Hindu Temple Society
are S Subbiah Mahalingam (Vice-
President), Charanya Mohanakrishnan
(Secretary), RajaguruRajamanickam
(Treasurer) and Rajkumar Velu
(Chairperson, Festival and Events).
“It is a once-in-a-life time
opportunity to be involved in the
construction of a Temple. Such an
opportunity arises only out of Divine
Desire and Divine Ordainment. Even
in the bygone era of Emperors and
Kings, such opportunity was afforded
only to the rich and elite. However, our
humble effort in New Zealand involves
Hindus and anyone in fact who
evinces interest in such projects,”Mr
Krishnamoorthy said.
Volunteers needed
He said that the Temple Society was
in need of volunteers who are able to
devote up to four hours of their time
every week to attend to various tasks
and new members to participate in
the activities of the Society and the
Temple.
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COMMUNITYLINK
Manukau Indians pick their team
Staff Reporter
Members of the
Manukau Indian
Association (MIA)
re-elected Veer
Khar as their President at the
Annual General Meeting held
on April 5.
The election process, held
under the supervision of MIA
founders Keshav Govind and
Balu Mistry, also saw Suresh
Ramji in the post of Vice
President and Ram Lingam as
Secretary. Hansa Naran, Monark
Panchal & Gurwant Singh
and Roy Kaunds were elected
respectively to the posts of
Treasurer, Assistant Treasurers
and Assistant Secretary.
The new Executive
Committee includes Avtar Singh,
Balu Mistry, Gurmeeta Singh,
Keshav Govind, Laxmiben
Morar, Mohanpal Bath, Munish
Bhatt, Paramjit Dutt, Ranjna
Patel, Rajinder Bedi, Rajinderpal
Singh Bajwa, Resham Singh and
Surjeet Singh Sachdeva.
Marshall Gass, Narinder
Singla, Dhiru Patel, Cyrus Mehta
and Rati Mehta were co-opted
into the Executive Committee at
its first meeting held on April 13.
Free employment workshops
Staff Reporter
Auckland Regional
Migrant Services will
conduct three free
employment workshops
for new migrants over the next two
months.
The ‘Job Search Workshops’have
been designed to
advice and guidenew arrivals on
finding work, writing CVs and
cover letters, answering interview
Helping Special Needs children
Staff Reporter
The Parent and Family
Resource Centre
(trading as Disability
Connect) will conduct
its first ‘Indian Families with
Children of Special Needs
The MIA team with community patrons and elders
questions, and communication in
the work place.
The workshops will be held
on May 5 at 930 am at Raeburn
House, 138 Shakespeare Rd, Milford,
North Shore at 930am and on
May 7 at 9 am at Highland Park
Community House, 47 Aviemore
Drive, Highland Park.
For registration and other details,
please call (09) 6252440 or email
reception@arms-mrc.org.nz
Support Group’ meeting on
May 5 at 10 am at Nathan
Homestead (Theatre Room),
located at 70 Hill Road,
Manurewa, Auckland.
“All Indian families raising
a child with special needs
are welcome to this meeting.
File Photo of an Employment
Workshop in progress
They will receive a copy of the
presentation about Disability
Connect, the services offered
and a table of print resources.
Please call Sanny Chan
on (09) 6360351 or Email
sanny@disabilityconnect.
org.nz
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
New initiative to
mentor migrants
Staff Reporter
Community Mentors
and the Office of
Ethnic Communities
(OEC) have
announced a new initiative to
provide mentoring support to
organisations that assist new
migrants and refugees to settle
in their new country.
Community Mentors Chief
Executive Ray Schofield
and OEC Director Berlinda
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guide, support and develop the
fibre of thriving communities.
“We want to contribute to a
New Zealand that welcomes
and celebrates diversity, where
refugees and migrants settle
well and are able to contribute
to our nation in all aspects of
life - social, economic, civic
and cultural,” they said.
Community mentors provide
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one-to-one, confidential
and deep experience in the
challenges of running a social
enterprise.
“One of the key issues facing
community organisations is
the difficulty of separating
good governance from
operational management.
A community mentor helps
develop strategies to do that
and provides a sounding board
to take the organisation to the
next level,” Mr Schofield said.
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ENTERTAINTMENTLINK
Odissi dancer leads to self-realisation
Venkat Raman
It is unfair to compress the proceedings
of a great evening of
Odissi dance and music instruments
held in Auckland last
month into a thin report but paucity of
space and the promise to carry in this
issue left us no choice except brevity.
Odissi may be a dance form that
is rarely displayed but Melbourne
resident Sam Goraya proved that he
is a master of this great art as he performed
a number of items, including
Pallavi, She Nila, Durga Stuti and
Moksha.
Called,‘Sanskar’(Impression), Sargam
School of Indian Music organised
the event on April 11 at Raye
Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls
Grammar School.
Spellbound Journey
The items that he picked were to not
only pay tribute to Guru Kelucharan
Mahapatra but also take the audience
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Basant, Akhil and Deepak Madhru
on a journey of self-realisation and
higher consciousness.
As I mentioned to Sam, his performance
brought memories of Protima
Bedi, whose passion
for Odissi
saw her give up
a lucrative film
career to explore
the world of this
classical style
with passion and
perseverance.
Sam Goraya was
not different. His
interpretation
of some of the
Avatars of Lord
Vishnu were
impeccable.
With four postgraduate
(Masters’)
degrees
Venkat Raman
The Dorothy Winston
Centre of Auckland
Grammar School
could have been filled
with capacity on March 28 had
it not been for a number of
and PhD in
Mathematics and
Oceanography,
he is currently
National Operations
Manager
for Telechoice, a
telecommunication
service provider for Telstra.
We propose to publish a more substantial
story on this dedicated dancer
in our next issue.
Sliver Performance
The Sitar Recital by Lester Silver,
accompanied on the Tabla by Basant
Madhur and his nephew Akhil
embellished the event, which was
dubbed, ‘An Evening of Superlative
Performances.’
Lester Silver
out the Talent and Passion of
our men and women (there
were seven of them) to render
difficult songs with ease.
Examples; ‘Main Chali, Main
Chali’ (from ‘Professor’) by
Ritika Badakere and Shewata;
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
24
Lester performed ‘Raag Jhijhoti,’
stated to be easy to appreciate but
difficult to executive. He began with
Alap and followed with a composition
in slow Teen Taal. As he settled down,
he continued with Medium Teen Taal
and completed with ‘Jhala.’
Basant accompanied him on the
Tabla.
Tabla Jugalbandi
Tabla Jugalbandi session with
Basant and Akhil was one of a kind.
Accompanied by Deepak Madhur on
the Harmonium, the Tabla artistes
Sam Goraiya
commenced their segment of the
programme with Peshkar, followed
by Kaydas, Rela, Gat, Tukra and
Paranin Teen Taal that corresponds
to 16 beats.
It was an evening which most
music lovers in the audience hoped
would never end.
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Space courtesy of A1 SAFETY & PACKAGING LTD
extraneous factors but the 500
or so who attended the event
went home with heavy heart.
A three-hour programme of
28 songs of Shankar Jaikishan,
who have more than 1300
songs to their credit, would
not do justice to the masters.
T&P displayed
But it certainly brought
Rachit Bhatia and Ritika Badakere
Guncha Singh
‘Rasik Balmaa’ (‘Chori Chori’)
Guncha Singh and an orchestra
that showed improving
standards of professionalism.
Rachit Bhatia proved his
prowess as a singer with
good stage mannerisms as he
rendered
‘Badan Pe Sitaare Lapete
Hue’ (‘Prince’), while his
Sandhya Badakere
rendition of ‘O Mere Sanam’
(‘Sangam) with Guncha was
par excellence.
Ashish Ramakrishnan who
entered the stage with ‘Tu Pyar
Ka Sagar Hai’ (‘Seema’) was
convincing but it was ‘Kisiki
Muskuraahatoon Pe’ (‘Anari’)
that earned him wide applause.
Sandhya supersedes
However, in my opinion, the
evening belonged to Sandhya
Badakere who chose ‘Tumhe
Yaad Karte Karte,’ a difficult
number from ‘Amarpali.’
Her rendition was so close to
the original number by Lata
Mangeshkar that it brought
memories of the events of
1966, the year in which the
film was released.
Mt Roskill based Swar
Sadhana Academy of Indian
Music (of which Sandhya
Badakere is the Director
& Principal) organised the
programme titled, ‘Zindagi Ik
Safar Hai Suhana.’
Mrs Badakere, we hear,
is organining an evening of
songs composed by Sachin
Dev Burman and his son Rahul
Dev Burman in May next year.

COMMUNITYLINK
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
25

ENTERTAINTMENTLINK
Rafi, Mangeshkar et al have a date with you
A Correspondent
Amit Sengupta, Director and Principal
of Mohammed Rafi Academy of
Music, believes that the ‘Old is Gold’
series presents some of yesteryears’
evergreen songs created and sung by Hindi
Cinema’s veteran music directors and singers.
He alsobelieves that it is an ideal platform
where local musicians, singers and dancers learn
to collaborate and promote the songs in a way
that reflects their individual style and persona.
Memorable melodies
“A timeless song is more memorable when a
singer can render it in his or her own voice style,
thus revealing a personality to the audience”,
he said.
His latest production, ‘Old is Gold VII’ will
go on stage on Saturday, May 2, 2015 (7 pm)
at Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls
Grammar School.
Interesting stories
According to Mr Sengupta,the ‘Seventh
Edition’ will reveal many interesting stories
surrounding the origin of the selected songs,
and the substantial time and effort spent on
orchestration, compared to today’s Hindi Cinema.
Akhila Puthigae, a talented singer
Ratna Venkat dancing at the previous event
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
A section of the audience at ‘Old is Gold’ 2013
26
“We therefore encourage people to buy tickets
as they will not only enjoy witnessing all 36
songs featured in the Concert, but also listen to
the stories behind the composition of some of
these songs,” he said.
Dance numbers
Mr Sengupta said that ‘Old is Gold VII’ will
have three dancers rendering as many song
sequences.
“The dance numbers have been choreographed
and directed by Ratna Venkat, who has been
appearing in a number of shows since her
Bharata Natyam Arangetram and Kuchipudi
Ranga Pravesham on March 10, 2007. She will
perform solo ‘Mose Chaal Kiye Jaye Hai’(Guide)
and ‘Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya’(Mughal E Azam)
with Divya Krishnamurthy. Another dance item
by Nirmita Ghosh will be to the tunes of ‘Tune
O Rangeele Kaise Jadu Kiya’(Kudrat),” he said.
The musicians
Among the singers are Akhila Puthigae, Amit
Sengupta, Dr Hubert D’Cruze, Guncha Singh,
Rachit Bhatia, Rita Krishnamurthy, Srisha Iyer
and Vidya Teke.
The Orchestra includes Amit Sengupta
(Harmonium), Antony Yempee (Lead Guitar),
Basant Madhur (Tabla), Diya Antony (Rhythm
Guitar), Hemant Thaker (Keyboard), Joseph
Alexander (Electronic Drums), Kamla Prasad
(Dholak), Madan Kalyan (Keyboard), Shivam
Padayachi (Bass Guitar) and Vishnu Mangalkari
(Acoustic Percussion).
Brahmotsavam
for Annamayya
Padahela
Staff Reporter
The annual ‘Annamayya Padahela,’ a
tribute to the great Saint Annamacharya,
will be held on May 9, 2015 at the Shri
Shirdi Saibaba Temple Hall located at
12 Princes Street in Onehunga, Auckland.
The concept of this year’s programme is
‘Brahmotsavam,’ featuring Annamacharya’s
compositions in praise of Lord Venkateswara
of Tirupathi Tirumala Hills.
The proceeds of the concert, 12th in an annual
series, is scheduled to begin at 530 pm, will be
donated to the Temple.
Led by Padma Govardhan, Director &Principal
of the School, the vocalists and performers will
include her students, daughter Vishnupriya and
son Balu and a number of singers from the
community
“Sangeetha Bharathi Music School donates
proceeds of the ‘Annamayya Padahela’ every
year to a community project, organisation or
charity. As done in 2014, we are privileged to
donate to the Shri Shirdi Saibaba Temple,” Mrs
Govardhan said.
What: Annamayya Padahela
Who: Sangeetha Bharathi Music School
When: Saturday, May 9, 2015 at 530 pm
Where: Shirdi Saibaba Temple Hall
12-18 Princes Street, Onehunga, Auckland
Tickets: $10 (Adults) $5 (10-15 years)
Contact: Padma Govardhan on (09) 6245922
Govardhan Mallela on 021-1455708

SPORTSLINK
A line up of winners at our Sports Awards
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
27
Staff Reporter
The 50-50 Dance Group performing at the Sports Awards Night
We have great pleasure in reporting
about the achievements of the
winners in various categories of
the Indian Newslink Indian Sports
Awards held at Alexandra Pak, Greenlane,
Auckland on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. More
than 200 guests including sponsors, nominees,
finalists and winners in various categories
attended the Fourth Annual event.
Inaugural Ethnic Rugby League Competition
run by the New Zealand Rugby League. With
speed to burn, good defensive skills and a sound
knowledge of the game, Josh epitomises what it
means to be a ‘complete footballer.’
Sharhat Singh, Under 21 Cricket Player
Ravinesh Narayan, Best Senior Soccer
Player: 2014 was an extremely busy year
for Ravinesh as he was the NZFFI All Stars
Captain and won the 2014 Pacific Cup Golden
Glove Award, the NZFFI Best Goal Keeper
Award and the International Veterans Best Goal
Keeper Award. His strong leadership qualities
and decisive plays as a goalkeeper is an asset to
every team with which he is involved.
Sameer Ali, Best Veterans Soccer Player:
Sameer’s achievements last year include the 2014
Veterans Tournament over 35 Division Most
Valuable Player, FANCA over 35 New Zealand
A section of our guests at the Sports Awards
Player of the Year, AFF Most Valuable Player
in the over 35 Division for Rewa as well as the
Golden Boot Award for the over 35s team.
Indian Newslink congratulates all the winners
and hopes that as they strive to do better this year,
others would offer them a tougher competition
next year!
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Guests at the awrds night
Please read other reports appearing in this
Section.
Arzan Todywalla, Best young male sports
achiever and Under 20 Soccer Player of
the Year: A talented Soccer player, Arzan has
excelled at District, National and International
levels. In 2014, he captained the Auckland Futsal
Team and was named in the All Stars Team. In
September 2014, Arzan took part in the AIMS
Games where he was selected, for the second
year running, to the tournament team. At the New
Zealand Junior Football Cup, Arzan was awarded
the Golden Boot. His passion for athletics also
saw him create new records at school inShot
put and High Jump. To cap off a splendid 2014,
Arzan was awarded sportsman of the year at
the Fencibles United Club and took out the
Sportsman of the year award at his school. A
Profile of the youngster, who was the only winner
of two different Awards at our event this year,
appears in this Section.
Avishak Kumar, Young Male Special Award:
An enthusiastic and dedicated soccer player.
Avishak attends Hamilton Boys High School
and has played in a number of school and club
teams, representing the Waikato Bay of Plenty
since he was eight years old.
Malvini Mani: Youngest Excellence in Sport:
The youngest entrant in this year’s Awards,
Mavini is a quiet achiever in her chosen sport
of Netball. In 2014, shewon the Waitakere Netball
Association and Summer League representative
Honours. Mavini is also an Auckland Fijian
Community representative.
Ish Sodhi, Best Cricket Player and
Sportsman of the Year: The judges described Ish
as “a person who has brought immense honour
to the Indian Community.” Ish was selected to
the New Zealand Cricket Team for the three test
series against Pakistan. In the first test, his 63
runs was a personal best and the best score for a
number 10 Batsman in the New Zealand Cricket
Team.
Shareena Nana, Best Woman Hockey Player
and Sports Woman of the Year:
Neelkash Ram, Best Golf Player: A Fiji
Representative for over 10 years, Neelkash
is ranked among the top Five at the Grange
Club. He is also four-time winner of the Club
Championship in the Senior Division.
Chelcie Prasad, Best Netball Player:
Chelcie was the Captain of theAuckland Fijian
Community Netball Team that toured Fiji in
2014.Upon their return, the team finished second
in the Pasifika Netball Tournament. A member
of the Marist College Senior B team, Chelcie
was awarded the Most Consistent Player for the
team. Described by Livi Hide from the Auckland
Fiji Community Netball as “an outstanding and
committed netball player,” Chelcie has a bright
future.
Josh Naidu, Best Rugby League Player of the
Year: A true gentleman of the sport, Josh Naidu is
held in high regard by Counties Manukau Rugby
League Manager Kasey King.He played in the
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Honours show the way forward for teenager
Sai Bedekar
New Zealanders are known to
punch above their weight,
or as some do, push their
sporting prowess, far
beyond boundaries, compared to their
age and experience, setting new trends
and records.
Among them is teenager Arzan
Todywalla, who has been a source of
awe, admiration, and even fascination.
He picked up two major honours at
the Indian Newslink Indian Sports
Awards Presentation Ceremony held
at Alexandra Park in Auckland’s
Greenlane on Wednesday, April 22,
2015.
Sporting Honours
He received the ‘Best Young Sports
Achiever (9-14 Years Male)’ Award
from Bank of Baroda (New Zealand)
Limited Managing Director Prahlad
Gupta and the ‘Best Under 20 Soccer
Player of the Year’ Award from Saif
Shaikh, Director, Immigration Advice
Limited.
There was wide applause as he went
Arzan Todywalla with the two trophies that he won at the Indian Newslink
Indian Sports Awards Presentation Ceremony held on April 22, 2015.
on stage twice to receive the trophies
but there was little surprise. For,
winning awards and pushing himself
to perform better each time he gets into
the field is the wont of this young man.
However, what surprised everyone
was that Arzan is just 13 years old and
perhaps has won twice as many awards
as his age.
How does a boy, born and raised in
a humble family that has to struggle
hard to scale great heights in a game
that is characterised by toughness,
competition, stamina and most
important of all, the gusto to stay on?
In one simple word, ‘Commitment.’
Sacrificing family
Arzan derives everything that a child
needs, from his small, well-knit family
that comprises his parents and an elder
sister. How they dote over him, and
adjust their lifestyle to ensure that he
eats, sleeps, studies and plays soccer,
all at the appropriate time is itself a
story of love and sacrifice.
The Parsi community, known for its
well-preserved traditions and family
unity is justly proud of Arzan and the
Todywallas.
Early Achiever
There are many others – coaches,
teachers, elders and peers – who are
keen that Arzan should travel far with
his soccer, for they believe that there is
immense potential in the young man to
become a global legend. As his father
Viraf mentioned in Indian Newslink
(December 15, 2014), “When I first
saw Arzan kick the ball, I thought there
was a rocket in the sky. He was three
years old then.”
His coaches say that the skills and
temperament of Arzan are far beyond
his 13 years, “they are elite,” and that
his coaches have high regards and high
expectations.
Committed to a game that has
the largest following in the world,
Arzan Todywalla holding the Trophy that he
won for Fencibles Club at the Pre-Season
Rangitoto College tournament March 2015
Arzan is focused on becoming ‘The
Star of Soccer’ and compete in all the
major tournaments that various clubs,
districts, regions, countries and the
world has to offer.
Forward moves
Children on the grow are prone to
pranks, hanging out with friends at
fast food restaurants and chasing each
other in cars as though our roads are
racing tracks. But there are some who
believe that the teenage years are one
of consolidation, character building
and determination of future pursuits.
They set their eyes on vocations and
areas that would test their talent and
aptitude and encourage them to strive
towards higher goals.
Arzan belongs to that ilk and hence
realises that academic achievements
and a good record of education are
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
28
equally important while making a mark
on the sporting field. He continues to
work towards this goal, assigning for
himself standards and targets.
The current year has been good
for Arzan. Following are among his
achievements in Soccer, at School and
elsewhere.
Achievements 2015
Indian Newlink Indian Sports Award
2015 as mentioned above
Pakuranga College Athletics Day
2015: First in High Jump, First in
100 meters Sprint, First in 200 meters
sprint (creating a new record for the
College) and Second in Year 9 Boys
Rally. His House ‘Pohutukawa’ came
First after four years, a status that can
make his friends and teachers scream
with joy- they did.
His participation helped the
Fencibles Club to win the first prize in
the recently held‘Pre-Season Rangitoto
College Tournament at North Shore in
March 2015.
Arzan was selected for a weeklong
special training organised by the
National Training Centre at King’s
College, a privilege accorded to a
handful of players.
Calm and Collected
For all the accolades that he hears,
Arzan remains humble and grateful to
everyone who has helped him shape
his life and soccer career.
“I am beholden to my parents, my
sister, coaches, especially Justin Green
and Roger Wilkinson as I owe my
success to them. I am also thankful to
all my soccer teammates as it would
not be possible without their support,”
he said.
Sai Bedekar is a freelance writer
and freelance photographer based
in Auckland
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ENTERTAINTMENTLINK
Indian Sports Awards Gallery Winners
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
30
Sergeant Gurpreet Singh Arora, a member of the Judging
Panel, receives the ‘Sportsman of the Year’ Award on
behalf of winner Ish Sodhi from Ajay Kumar, Managing
Director, Global Financial Services Limited, Title Sponsor
of the Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards2015
Veteran Sportsman Ramesh Patel (right) receives the
‘Best Sportswoman of the Year’ Award on behalf of winner
Shareena Nana from Ajay Kumar, Managing Director,
Global Financial Services Limited, Title Sponsor of the
Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards 2015
Arin Lal of Indian Newslink presenting the ‘Youngest
Entrant of the Year’(Special Award) to Malvina Mani (11)
for Excellence in Netball
Deven and BabitaMaharaj,Directrors of D&B Subway
presenting the ‘Best Rugby League Player of the Year
Award to winner Josh Naidu
Alvin Ram of Food 4 Less Supermarket presenting the
‘Best Senior Soccer of the Year’ Award to winner Ravinesh
Narayan
Sergeant Gurpreet Singh Arora, a Member of the Judging
Panel, receives the ‘Best Cricket Player of the Year’ Award
on behalf of winner Ish Sodhi from Angela and Sam
Maharaj,Directors of Maharaj Corporation McDonalds
Veteran Sportsman Ramesh Patel (right) receives the
‘Best Woman Hockey Player of the Year’ Award on behalf
of Winner Shareena Nana from Michael Prasad, Managing
Director, MPG Chartered Accountant
Prahlad Gupta, Managing Director, Bank of Baroda New
Zealand Limited, presenting the ‘Best Young Sports
Achiever (9-14 Years Male) to winner Arzan Todywalla
ABC Business Solutions Managing
Director Raj Chand presenting the
‘Under-21 Cricket Player of the Year’
Award to Winner Sharat Singh
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Rohit Anand, Managing Director of
Windoors NZ Limited, presenting the
‘Young Sportsman of the Year’ (Special)
Award to Avishak Kumar
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1. The Best Under 19 SoccerPlayerofthe Year
2. The Best Senior Division Soccer Player of the Year
3. The Best Veterans Soccer Player of the Year
4. The Best Hockey Woman Player of the Year
5. The Best Hockey Man Player of the Year
6. The Best Rugby League Player of the Year
7. The Best Golfer of the Year
8.The Best Cricket Player of the Year
9. The Best Under 21 Cricket player of the Year
10.The Best Netball Player of the Year
11.The Best Boxer of theYear
12. Special Award for Excellence in Pursuing Sports
Young Achiver of theYear Award (Male&Female (9-14 Yrs)
The Best Sportsman and the Sportswomanofthe
YearTitle Sponsor Global Financial Services Ltd.
Contact Ravin Lal
PH: (09) 533 6377 MOB: 021 753 699 E:ravin@indiannewslink.co.nz
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SPORTS / COMMUNITYLINK
Indian Sports Awards Gallery Winners
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
31
Saif Shaikh, Director, Immigration Advice New Zealand
Limited, presenting the ‘Best Under 20 Soccer Player of
the Year’Award to Arzan Todywalla
Shivika and Sonal Sharma of Pacific Investment Ltd
presenting the ‘Best Veteran Soccer Player’ Award to
winner Sameer Ali
EPA brochures benefit us
Staff Reporter
The importance of understanding
the ramifications
of granting Power
of Attorney to another
person (irrespective of relationship
with that person) dawns
late among many members of
the Indian community.
We have received a number
of complaints in the past few
years from unsuspecting men
and women, who had suddenly
found themselves liable for an
agreement about which they
knew nothing. We have also heard
from people who lost the shares
of a blue chip company because
the person they authorised to deal
with the shares transferred them
to his own name or that of his
family.
New initiative
Senior Citizens Minister Maggie
Barry has launched a new
range of multilingual resources to
help New Zealanders protect their
future with an Enduring Power of
Attorney (EPA).
“An EPA is an important safeguard
for all Kiwis to consider
putting in place, regardless of age,
gender, ethnicity or where you
live. It is important to make information
about EPAs accessible to
as many people as possible.”
She said that everyone should
consider setting up an EPA.
Multilingual folders
“Unfortunately any of us could
lose the ability to make decisions
for ourselves at any time through
illness or injury. Having an EPA
in place means someone we trust
will be legally able to make decisions
about our property, care or
welfare.”
The translations are available
in Maori, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi,
Korean, Samoan, Tongan,
simplified Chinese and traditional
Chinese. They are part of
Open the door to
the Office for ‘Senior Citizens
Protect Your Future Campaign’
launched in June 2014.
“The year-long campaign
has successfully created clear
and straightforward information
about the importance of EPAs,
as well as advice for attorneys on
their responsibilities. I am very
pleased this information is now
available to more communities
through these translations,” Ms
Barry said.
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Shobhna Golian of Shobhna & Co Law Office presenting
the Netballer of the Year’ Award to Winner Chelcie Prasad
Suresh Din, Managing Director, Food Safety New Zealand
Limited, presenting the ‘Best Golfer of the Year’Award to
winner Neeklesh Ram
Germany lifts hijab ban on teachers
Germany’s Constitutional
Court has lifted a ban on
female Muslim teachers
wearing headscarves as
long as it does not lead to ‘disruption’
at school.
This followed the case of a Muslim
woman who was denied a teaching
job because she wore a headscarf
(Hijab).
The Court said that the only
grounds for religious symbols to
be banned are when they pose ‘not
just an abstract but a concrete risk of
disruption in schools.’
The Court banned headscarves for
teachers in 2003, though Christian
religious symbol such as the Cross,
was exempted.
“This is a good day for religious
freedom,” said Volker Beck, a lawmaker
from the opposition Greens
party.
He said that a bigger threat to
German society could be ‘opponents
of diversity,’ such asneo-Nazis and
extremist Muslim Salafists.
The ruling was also praised for
Muslim teachers at a school in Germany
‘reinforcing religious freedom in number of anti-Muslim attacks in
Germany’ by ChristineLueders,Director
of the Federal Anti-Discrimiscarf,Imams
and Mosques are suf-
the country. Women with a headnation
Agency.
fering ‘on a daily basis.’
Another Verdict
Chancellor supports
In 2013, another ruling lessened Germany has four million Muslim
the pressure on Muslim schoolgirls, residents.
allowing them to wear so-called Chancellor Angela Merkel, who
‘burqinis’(full-cover swimming costumes)
in physical education classes. Berlin in January,accused Germany’s
joined a Muslim tolerance rally in
This arose because of the case of a growing anti-Islamic movement of
13-year-old girl of Moroccan origin spreading hatred and violenceagainst
who startedskipping her swimming immigrants, pointing out“Islam
lessons after entering one of the belongs to Germany.”
country’s top high schools. Source:‘Rocket Science,’ Monthly
This year, the German Muslim Newsletter of Mt Albert Islamic
Council warned of an increasing Centre, Auckland
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SPORTSLINK
Sports Awards bring out the best of talents
Apurv Shukla
The Fourth Indian Newslink
Indian Sports Awards
Presentation Ceremony, held
on Wednesday, April 22, 2015
at Alexandra Park in Auckland has been
hailed as a ‘Yet another successful event
of the newspaper’s brands.’
These Awards
recognise and reward
Sports people of Indian
origin in New Zealand
excelling in their
chosen sport.There
were 13 categories
in this year’s Awards
Programme, covering six different
sports, in addition to the Supreme
Awards.
Hockey player Shareena Nana, who
won in her category was the ‘Best
Sportswoman of the Year,’ while Ish
Sodhi, the Black Caps Test Cricketer,
won the ‘Best Sportsman of the Year’
Award.
Future Stars
The stars of the future were
recognised with two Special Awards,
one each for Excellence in Pursuing
Sports and presented with the ‘Young
Achiever of the Year Male 9-14 Years’
Award and the other for being the ‘Best
Young Sportsman of the Year.’
An independent panel of judges
chaired by Sergeant Steve Smith of
Counties Manukau Police, evaluated
the entries and announced the finalists
and winners.
Guest Speaker
Former Fijian Magistrate and
Barrister and currently Patron of the Fiji
Football Association Naresh Prasad was
the Guest Speaker at the Awards Night.
Outlining the positive impact that
sports have in our lives, he said these
Awards rewarded achievers for their
hard work.
“This in turn encourages our
sportsmen and sportswomen to
excel in their chosen disciplines. The
recognition helps to attract the attention
of good coaches and selectors, thus
aiding in their pursuit of becoming
international players. Sports Awards
also act as an encouragement for youth
to take up sports,” he said.
Deep involvement
Mr Prasad’s own involvement with
Sports has been long and eventful.
The Fiji Football Association was
formed in 1993 by a dedicated group of
soccer players and loyal followers. The
early days of the Association saw 16 to
18 teams play, generally over weekends
in a Carnival like atmosphere.
Played across School grounds, it
had foodstalls and other entertainment
avenues set up to generate funds for
running the Teams.
The Association was responsible for
organising all the major tournaments
like IDC, BOG Fiji Fact, Champion vs
Champion and many more.
Soccer enthusiasts wanted to instil
confidence and experience in the
participating players, so that they
could start playing for the local League
Teams, which existed under New
Zealand Football.
Mangere Example
Mr Prasad said that the weekend
leagues provided a pathway to players
to integrate into the local teams.
“Officials too gained experience
though this sporting structure. They
formed a League Team of their own.
Thus was born ‘The Mangere United
Soccer Club’ in 2001. Since then it has
been playing First Division Soccer
with great success. It has a home
base at Mangere Centre Park. With
the assistance of the Council,the Club
has also built its own Stadium at an
estimated cost of $1.7 million.
“The Stadium now occupies a pride
of place at Centre Park in Mangere.
Success in Sports Administration is
essential for the concerned Sport to
thrive. An interesting offshoot of the
Association was the formation of
the Veterans Soccer Association. It
works closely with NZ Fiji Football
Association,” Mr Prasad said.
He acknowledged the finalists and
winners in the 13 categories of the
Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards.
He also elucidated on the numerous
benefit sports provides to individuals.
Research findings
“The University of Missouri pointed
out that Sports can help build leadership
skills and give people an opportunity to
surround themselves with competitive
individuals and role models. It also said
that sports help to achieve a healthy
mind and body, learn the spirit of
cooperation and teamwork,and promote
an active lifestyle. Sports also help
boost self-esteem,” Mr Prasad said.
He said that no other field of human
activity provides such a wonderful
platform for a peaceful and happy
coexistence.
The Entertainers
The Awards Night also saw a brilliant
performance by the 50/50 Dance Group.
The packed Tasman Room at Alexandra
Park thoroughly enjoyed the energetic
act performed by the group, whilst
enjoying a delicious buffet dinner.
Satend Sharma, the master presenter
Indian Newslink May 1, 2015
Chief Guest Naresh Prasad Chief Judge Sergeant Steve Smith Master of Ceremonies Satend Sharma
32
of the ‘Drive Show’ on Radio Tarana
on weekends, was among the most
important architects of the success of
the Awards Night. With punch humour
and an inimitable presence of mind,
he carried the evening through with
guffaws and pleasantness.
As the curtain comes down on this
year’s Awards, preparations have
already begun for next one in 2016.
Indian Newslink will carry on its
The 50-50 Group performing
quest to make these Awards bigger
and better for the sole purpose of
recognising and rewarding talented
and successful Sportspeople of Indian
origin in New Zealand.
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