Indian Newslink 15th June 2016 Digital Edition

HOMELINK 

The bursting bubble 

can explode on your face 

FIJILINK 

Media can criticise 

but cannot twist facts 

BUSINESSLINK 

Prime Minister 

likely to visit India 

PAGE 02 PAGE 07 

PAGE 10 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

Issue 348 | June 15, 2016 | Free 

ENTERTAINMENTLINK 

PAGE 

26 

Divine brothers 

eulogised Bharata 

Natyam style 

phone 

09 533 6377 

editor@ 

indiannewslink. co. nz 

website 

www. indiannewslink. co. nz 

facebook 

/indiannewslink 

twitter 


How much can you save onyour mortgage? 

linked in 


SAME DAYCREDIT 

TO ANYINDIAN BANKACCOUNT 

*Conditions Apply 

HEAD OFFICEAND BRANCH: 

632 Dominion Road 

MANUREWA: 

19/185 Great South Road 

AUCKLAND CBD: 

32, Queen Street 

PAPATOETOE: 

302, Great South Road 

*View website for top advisor awards. Disclosure statement available on request free of cost 

A New Beginning with Fiji! 

Venkat Raman in Fiji 

After ten years of 

strained friendship and 

frosty diplomatic relations 

New Zealand 

and Fiji have agreed to work together 

to build bridges of understanding 

between the two 

governments and peoples, setting 

new goals of partnership 

and progress. 

That was the gist of the visit of 

Prime Minister John Key to Fiji, 

the first for a New Zealand Prime 

Minister since 2006, prior to the 

military coup on December 5, 

2006 that brought him to power. 

Mr Bainimarama extended his 

hand of friendship saying, “Let 

bygones be bygones,’ but not before 

letting Mr Key have an earful 

of his anger, frustration and 

even threat over the ‘way New 

Zealand acted at a time when Fiji 

wanted the best understanding 

of its neighbours.’ 

Tough Speech 

At a no-nonsense, no-holdsbarred 

speech that he delivered 

at the State Banquet that he hosted 

in honour of Mr Key at Grand 

Pacific Hotel on June 9, he reminded 

Mr Key of his own earlier 

comment that ‘what has 

happened in the past is ancient 

history.’ 

Frank Bainimarama receiving John Key on arrival Guard of Honour at Nausori Airport 

“Fiji seeks a new political relationship 

with New Zealand 

that is more equal, more rooted 

in mutual respect, more understanding 

on New Zealand part 

of our own priorities – whether 

it is on the trade front with 

the Pacific Agreement on Closer 

Economic Relations (PACER) Plus 

negotiations or our desire to reform 

our regional architecture Fijian President Jioji (George) Konousi Konrote with John Key 

to give Pacific Islanders a bigger 

voice,” he said. 

Mr Key is confident of moving 

forward but he is bound to 

face opposition in New Zealand 

among his political adversaries. 

Please read our four-page 

Special Report on Pages 6 to 9 

and our Editorial on Page 12. 

Pictures by Sanjesh Narayan 

for Indian Newslink and Radio 

Tarana. 

Education Minister Mahendra Reddy with John Key at Naiyala School 

AVONDALE : 

195, NewWindsor Road 

WELLINGTON: 

233-237 Lambton Quay 

Qualityadviceisassured through 

ateam of Licensed Immigration Adviser /Ex-Immigration Officer. 

We provide tailor-made solutions to individual 

migrant and their families seeking to study,work, 

invest,dobusiness and livein 

NewZealand permanently 

More work visas 

for Fijians? 


New Zealand may consider 

granting more work 

visas for seasonal workers 

from Fiji to meet 

the growing demand for such labour, 

Prime Minister John Key 

said. 

Speaking to New Zealand and 

Fiji media at the Naiyala High 

School near Nausori on June 10, 

2016 he said that his government 

may consider such work visas 

from the ensuing season this 

year. 

“We may need between 80 and 

100 seasonal workers in our horticulture 

sector. We want to engage 

with Fijians who are known 

for their hard work,” he said. 

But Mr Key did not go into 

specifics. 

Other Visas 

There are also indications that 

following the ease of tension 

and end of diplomatic winter between 

the two countries, there 

could be increasing movement 

of people, including grant of student 

and work visas. 

Indian Newslink is in touch 

with the concerned authorities 

and will publish confirmed information 

as and when made 

available. 

More Reports and pictures on 

the visit of Prime Minister John 

Key to Fiji appear in this issue. 

09 272 4424 021 144 6641 saif@ianzl.co.nz 

Mone Transfers • Money Exchange •Wire Transfers 

www.relianzforex.com 

Dial: 0508 41 11 11 

Fast. Reliable. Friendly Service. 

Level1-166 Harris Road, 

East Tamaki, Auckland 

www.immigrationadvicenz.com 

Like us on “Facebook” 

www.facebook.com/ImmigrationAdvice

JUNE 15, 2016 

02 HOMELINK 

The bursting bubble can explode on our face 

Housing prices are getting beyond endurance 

Phil Goff 

The bigger the Auckland’s 

housing price bubble 

grows, the greater is the 

likelihood that it will 

burst; worse, the consequences 

for those caught up in it. 

That is the warning leading 

economists have given as 

Auckland’s house prices continue 

to soar. 

Within a year, the average 

house price in Auckland will exceed 

$1 million. 

The government has allowed 

this to happen because it believes 

that huge inflation in 

house prices make those fortunate 

enough to own houses feel 

better off and more likely to be 

positive about the government. 

Realising flaws 

However, there are now a 

growing number even within 

Government as well as in 

Opposition who are beginning 

to see the serious flaws in this 

strategy. 

Veteran Funds Manager 

Bryan Gaynor, also a respected 

economist and Economic 

Adviser to former Prime 

Minister the late Sir David 

Lange, warns of the parallels 

with the soaring stock market 

before it collapsed in 1987. 

People start to believe that the 

market will never fall and fail to 

see the warning signs until it is 

too late, he said. 

Over-heated markets 

There are plenty of examples 

around the world of crashes in 

house prices after they have become 

over-inflated. At the start 

of this decade, for example, 

house prices in Dublin, Ireland 

dropped 57% in four years and 

in Nevada, USA by a massive 

64% in the six years to 2012. 

Median house price in 

Auckland has nearly doubled 

since 2009 and people are going 

heavily into debt to meet the 

cost. 

Record housing debt 

Housing debt in New Zealand 

has reached a record level of 

over $218 billion. 

If and when a crash comes, 

it leaves people with mortgages 

worth more than the price of 

their property and in financial 

crisis. It also results in a huge 

slump in consumer spending 

which would push the country 

into serious recession. 

A number of factors could 

cause the bubble to burst. 

When interest rates go up, people 

with huge mortgages will 

struggle with the cost of servicing 

them. If migration flows 

change, for example with the recovery 

of the Australian economy, 

or if our economy suffers 

from some external shock 

like a slump in the Chinese or 

American economies, that could 

trigger a major drop in house 

prices. 

Gone too far 

Some economists and longtime 

property investor Olly 

Newland say that the property 

bubble is now too far advanced 

to fix. I hope for the sake of New 

Zealanders that is not correct. 

What should the government 

have been doing? 

Firstly, after the Global 

Financial Crisis of 2008 they let 

the building industry sink to 

a level that it has taken years 

to recover from. The government 

should have intervened 

to sustain building levels during 

the recession. That would 

have allowed them to acquire 

new houses relatively cheaply, 

build houses to meet the inevitable 

rise in cyclical demand and 

would have helped alleviate the 

effects of recession. 

Secondly, by allowing demand 

to far exceed supply of housing, 

in part through record levels 

of migration into Auckland, 

Government ensured that housing 

prices would soar. All governments 

in the past have 

moderated migration to levels 

with which infrastructure could 

cope. 

They have increased migration 

in line with our ability to 

cater for housing and transport 

needs. The government has not 

attempted to ease pressure because 

it relied on immigration 

to hold up New Zealand’s GDP 

level. 

Thirdly, as house price inflation 

has soared government has 

done almost nothing to stop the 

rush of speculative activity, domestic 

and foreign, which has 

caused house prices to rise even 

further. 

Official action 

As a member of the reforming 

Labour Government of the 

1980s, I support a market economy. 

However, I also know that 

there is market failure and governments 

need to intervene 

when necessary to counteract 

that. Governments also need to 

intervene to ensure socially fair 

outcomes, such as by preventing 

homelessness. 

The current Government policy 

pays no attention to these 

needs. As a result, we have an 

unsustainable house price bubble 

which, if and when it bursts, 

may have devastating consequences 

for all of us. 

Phil Goff is former Foreign 

Affairs, Trade and Justice 

Minister and has been 

Member of Parliament for 35 

years. Elected from Mt Roskill, 

he is today Labour Party’s 

Spokesperson for Defence 

and Ethnic Communities. Mr 

Goff is a Mayoral candidate 

for Auckland, postal voting 

for which will be held from 

September 16 to mid-day on 

October 8, 2016. 

BC5523_IN_1 

Choose New Zealand’s 

most trusted paint brand. 

For quality paint, colour and advice, come in and see us today at your local Resene ColorShop! 

0800 RESENE (737 363) 

www.resene.co.nz 

showyourlove.co.nz 

Mortgage Brokers Insurance Brokers Accountants Property Managers 

Professional Financial Solutions provides the best advice on all financial matters 

SERVICES 

- Home Loans, Business Loans 

- Property Management 

- Business & Commercial Insurance 

-Life/Trauma/Medical Insurance 

-Redundancy/Mortgage Protection Insurance 

-Rental Property Returns/LTC setup 

-Small Business Tax Returns 

-Information on Wills and Trusts 

HEAD OFFICE 

35 Morningside Drive, St. Lukes 

Mt. Albert, Auckland 

Ph: 09 846 9934, Fax: 09-846 9936 

Ravi Mehta 

Authorised 

Financial Adviser 

Ph: 09-215 9517 

BRANCH OFFICE 

Level 1/203 Great South Road 

Manurewa, Auckland 

Ph: 09 266 3834 

www.professionalfinancial.co.nz |Email: info@pfsl.co.nz 

Rohit Takyar 

Registered 


Ph: 09-215 9519 

Yasmin Surani 

Registered 


Ph: 09-390 4224 

Adisclosure statement as required under Securities Act 1988 is freely available on request 

PROFESSIONAL 

FINANCIAL 

SOLUTIONS GROUP 

Professional Financial Solutions Ltd. 

Aim Associates Ltd.


Let us be constructive on housing problem 

Mark Thomas 

There has been a 

lot of discussion 

about housing in 

Auckland lately. 

We do not have enough 

housing that is affordable 

- particularly for people 

keen on buy their first 

homes. 

Whereas my Mayoral 

opponent Phil Goff insists 

on blaming the government 

for this problem, I 

know there is more that 

the Auckland Council can 

do. 

After nearly six years as 

an elected member of the 

Council, I know that we 

are not providing enough 

funding to new housing 

infrastructure (roads, water 

pipes, new parks and 

so on) and we are still 

too slow at processing 

consents. 

Policy Statement 

Readers may have heard 

that the government recently 

issued a ‘National 

Policy Statement’ (NPS) to 

force the Council to zone 

more land for housing. 

But we have already 

provided for 110,000 new 

houses in green fields areas 

around Auckland. 

However, these cannot be 

brought forward because 

we do not currently have 

the funding for all the new 

transport, water and other 

infrastructure needed. 

Some of this have bene 

caused by poor Council 

spending such as the $20 

million spent on a white 

water rafting park. 

But another key issue 

is the Council’s reduced 

ability to charge developers 

more for the fair costs 

associated with their developments 

or let developers 

even provide this 

infrastructure themselves 

if they can do it more 

cheaply. 

Delayed consents 

The Council is also very 

slow in processing consents. 

Despite claims that 

the statutory time-frame is 

met 97% of the time, last 

year’s Government Rules 

Reduction Taskforce (of 

which I was a Member) 

highlighted this as 

misleading. 

I meet developers every 

week who are prevented 

from building houses in 

Auckland by the Council’s 

slow processes. 

Auckland Council needs 

to sort this out and I will 

use the knowledge I have 

of Council and our consenting 

processes to do 

this. 

The NPS does help by 

adding further pressure 

on Auckland Council to resolve 

land supply problems, 

and that is a very 

good thing. 

But it needs more effort 

by Auckland Council to be 

the genuine circuit breaker 

Aucklanders need. 

Tardy progress 

Even with the most aggressive 

Unitary Plan delivered 

by the Hearings 

Panel which the Council 

will receive on July 22, 

2016, Auckland will not 

make quick enough progress 

building new, more 

affordable housing using 

business-as-usual. 

Therefore, in the housing 

and growth policies 

that I have announced, 

I will establish Special 

Development Areas in 

Auckland to fast-track 

new housing and to make 

quicker progress fixing 

particularly transport bottleneck 

that the recent 

house- building has created. 

You can read more 

about these policies on 

my website at www. 

mark-thomas.co.nz 

I will also advance the 

Auckland Council Chief 

Economist’s recommendations 

to allow private 

providers to supply their 

own infrastructure if 

they can do this cheaper 

than Auckland Council’s 

monopoly providers 

Auckland Transport and 

Watercare. 

Rather than blame 

others for the housing 

problems we have, your 

next Mayor needs to prioritise 

Council spending 

better and get it working 

more effectively. 

I know that will make 

a big difference and 

provide more, cheaper 

houses. 

Mark Thomas, a 

Mayoral candidate for 

Auckland this year, is 

an experienced business 

owner and executive 

within a diverse 

range of industries. He 

has been an elected 

member of Auckland 

Council since 2010. 

● First home 

● Investment property 

● Residential or Commercial 

● Building /Extending /Renovating 

● Re-finance /Restructure 

HOMELINK 

03 

Responsible business with 

lasting relationship in community 

Rakesh Bansal 

● Buying an Apartment 

● Low deposit 

● Self employed 

● Business Loan 

● Property Development 

For all your home loan and insurance needs 

talk to us... 

ex Bank Manager with over 30 years experience 

Contact usfor FREE consultation 

Toll Free: 0508 33 22 11 M: 021 030 8135 /099033 602 

116b, Cavendish Drive, Manukau City 

E: info@kiwimortgages.net.nz |w:www.kiwimortgages.net.nz 

We specialise in residential 

investment property accounting. 

No,thats the only thing we do! 

Talk to us if youown arental property 

in NewZealand. 

We can prepareand file your property tax return at 

afraction of the cost of traditional accountants. 

sometimes even60% cheaperthan 

your current accountant 

talk to us! 

0800 100 731 

www.taxonline.co.nz 

tax online 

RENTAL PROPERTY TAXRETURNS 

ACCOUNTANTS & 

BUSINESS ADVISERS 

•Income Tax Returns 

•GST,PAYE &FBT 

•Rental Property Returns 

•Company Formation 

•Tax Refunds 

•Insolvency 

talk to us! 

MENON & 

ASSOCIATES (2011)LTD 

ACCOUNTANTS AND BUSINESSADVISERS 

844 Dominion Road,MtEden |096272600 

Free 

Business 

Advice 

Call us foraSpecial Pricing forthe UBER and other taxi drivers 

www.menon.co.nz 

info@menon.co.nz

04 


Five members of the 

South Asian community 

were featured 

in the Queen’s 

Birthday Honours List announced 

by the government 

on June 6, 2016. 

They included Dr Pushpa 

Wood, who has been appointed 

as Officer of the 

New Zealand Order of 

Merit (ONZM) for services 

to financial literacy 

and interfaith 

HOMELINK 

Five from community on Queen’s Honours List 

Staff Reporter 

info@indiannewslink.co.nz 

relations; Viduranga 

Aruna Abeygoonesekera, 

who has been appointed 

as Member of the New 

Zealand Order of Merit for 

services to the Sri Lankan 

community. Queen’s 

Service Medal (QSM) winners 

Karnail Singh Badhan, 

Nanette Nathoo (both 

for services to the Indian 

community respectively 

based in Wellington and 

Auckland) and Dr Nadaraja 

Manoharan for services to 

the health sector. 

Remarkable People 

Congratulating the recipients, 

Ethnic Communities 

Minister Peseta Sam Lotuliga 

described the recipients 

as ‘remarkable people,’ 

saying that they will inspire 

a new generation of young 

people to serve their ethnic 

communities. 

“The efforts of these outstanding 

people ensure 

people of diverse cultures 

keep their heritage alive 

while also contributing to 

New Zealand society,” he 

said. 

Dr Pushpa Wood is Director, Westpac Massey Financial Education 

and Research Centre and Chair of the New Zealand Chapter of the 

World Council of Religion and Peace. She recently facilitated the 

Online Ethics Centre (OEC) Community Leadership Programme. 

She is a regular contributor of columns and articles to Indian 

Newslink. 

Ms Wood said, “It is an honour and a privilege to receive this 

Award. Although my name is on the list, the honour truly belongs 

to the whole community and people who have supported me throughout my life. I am 

grateful to my parents who gave me opportunities to dream big, my husband Jack and 

my daughter Gayatri for their encouragement and support. I regard myself very lucky 

to be awarded for doing something that is very dear to my heart. This Award recognises 

the positive contribution that ethnic people are making in almost every field 

Viduranga Aruna Abeygoonesekera works for the Social 

Development Ministry and has held financial and strategic roles 

in that sector for almost 20 years. 

Mr Abeygoonesekera has supported the affairs of Sri Lankan and 

the wider community as a committee member and as President 

of the New Zealand Sri Lanka Friendship Society in Wellington. 

He is a leader for Sri Lankans living in Wellington and has 

worked to support and celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity and 

the arts. Since his appointment as Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in 2007, he has established 

good working relationships with government, and assisted in the promotion of 

trade and economic relations. 

BC5609_CommunityGrants_IN 

Would funding help 

your community project? 

If you have a great idea that helps your community, like 

a horse riding group for disabled persons, a shared orchard 

for your neighbourhood, or an event that celebrates cultural 

diversity, it’s worth applying for a local board grant. 

We support initiatives in arts and culture, community development, 

environmental and natural heritage, historical heritage, events 

and sports and recreation. Applications open from June 1, so get 

yours ready now. 

For more information on how to apply, 

visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/funding 

Find out more: phone 09 301 0101 

or visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/funding 

Karnail Singh Badhan has contributed to the Indian community 

in Auckland since the early 1990s. He is a Founder and Life 

Member of the Ambedkar Sports & Cultural Club and has been 

its President since 2014. 

He is also the current coach of the Club’s volley ball team 

and has been involved with fundraising for and organising the 

Club’s annual sports tournament in Pukekohe. 

He is currently National Coordinator for Global Organisation 

of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) New Zealand and a member of GOPIO 

International. 

Mr Badhan was instrumental in the development of the Guru Ravidas Sabha 

Temple and has held offices as Chairman, Vice President and Secretary. 

Dr Nadarajah Manoharan has practiced as an Ear Nose and 

Throat (ENT) surgeon in New Zealand since 1974, primarily 

in small centres beginning in Whanganui and permanently in 

Palmerston North from 1982. 

Dr Manoharan continued to service smaller centres through a 

weekly Whanganui clinic and a weekend Masterton clinic in addition 

to other centres. He has advocated for greater access to affordable 

healthcare for children and has never allowed finance 

to be a barrier to patients in need of his services. He is voluntary teacher for trainee 

registrars and a member of the Mid Central Health District Health Board since 2013. 

He is a member of the Board’s Public Health Advisory, Funding and Audit, and 

Disability Support Advisory committees. He established the Whanganui ENT Department 

and significantly developed the Palmerston North ENT Department. 

North Hospital from 2008 to 2010. 

Nanette Nathoo has been the Chairperson of the Law and Order 

Crime Prevention Committee of the Auckland Branch of the 

New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA) since 2011, and 

served on its Executive Committee from 2008 to 2012. 

She was a Trustee of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre a few years 

ago. 

Ms Nathoo has contributed to the Indian community since 1982 

and was Vice President of the Auckland Indian Association (AIA) 

from 2007 to 2015. She is currently Law and Order Crime Prevention Chairperson of 

the Association. 

She has worked with the Auckland City Police Asian Liaison Officer in developing 

Safer Community and Crime Prevention videos, workshops and safety messages in 

community newsletters. 

Editor’s Note: Pictures of Viduranga Aruna Abeygoonesekera from bobmckerrow.blogspot.com; Karnail Singh 

Badhan from Stuff; Dr Nadaraja Manoharan from LinkedIn and Nanette Nathoo from Facebook


Lawyer suspended for nine months 

New Zealand Law Society 

Supplied Content 

Auckland lawyer Bharat Parshotam 

has been suspended from practising 

for nine months from June 1, 

2016 after admitting two charges 

before the New Zealand Lawyers and 

Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal. 

Mr Parshotam admitted charges of negligence 

or incompetence of such a degree as 

to reflect on his fitness to practise or as to 

bring his profession into disrepute. 

The charges arose from complaints by two 

separate clients. 

In both instances, Mr Parshotam falsely 

witnessed documents he had not seen 

signed by the clients. One of the signatures 

was later found to have been forged. He 

then falsely certified to Land Information 

New Zealand that he had witnessed the signing 

of loan documents and authority and instruction 

forms respectively. 

Conflict of interests 

Also, in relation to one of the complainants, 

Mr Parshotam acted for multiple parties 

in transactions in which there was a risk 

that he may be unable to discharge his obligations 

to one or more clients. 

The Tribunal said the conduct involved 

‘high-end negligence’ and Mr Parshotam’s 

errors of judgement were serious and 

multiple. 

It accepted that Mr Parshotam had not engaged 

in wilful or calculated conduct for personal 

gain and also that he had a high standing 

in the community. 

Previous instances 

However, the Tribunal noted he had four 

previous findings of unsatisfactory conduct 

against him, he had acted unprofessionally by 

lying to a colleague, had delayed in sending the 

client files to their new solicitors, and had misled 

the New Zealand Law Society and its standards 

committee during investigation of the 

complaints. 

The Tribunal suspended Mr Parshotam for 

nine months commencing on June 1, 2016. 

He was also ordered to pay costs to the New 

Zealand Law Society of $10,531 and to reimburse 

hearing costs of $4,197. 

No shortcuts 

New Zealand Law Society President Kathryn 

Beck said that lawyers may not under any circumstances 

take shortcuts when witnessing 

the signing of documents or in certifying that 

they have witnessed signing. 

“No matter how busy they are, no matter 

how well they may know the person who presents 

the document, lawyers must always observe 

the signing if they are going to attest the 

genuineness of the signatures. The fact that 

one of the signatures was, in fact, forged, is a 

graphic illustration of why a lawyer must be 

present at all signings,” she said. 

Partnership Announcement 

Parshotam Lawyers have appointed Chris Bierre and Shehan Ebenezer as 

additional Partners with effect from 1 June 2016. Chris has been with the 

firm for 12 months and Shehan for 3 years. Both new Partners have extensive 

property and commercial experience. Chris and Shehan continue to be 

assisted by Lisa Estie, Senior Legal Executive and Practice Manager. Please 

contact Chris, Shehan, or Lisa for your continuing legal needs. 

Level 1 ASB Bank Building, 981 Dominion Road, Mt Roskill, Auckland 1440 

PO Box 27079, Mt Roskill, Auckland 1440 

Phone (09) 6292766; Fax (09) 6292026; E-mail: lawyers@parshotam.co.nz 

HOMELINK 

05 

westernunion.co.nz


06 FIJILINK - John Key Visit Special 

Visit opens fresh chance for engagement 

But the going would be as uncertain as Rugby 


Fiji’s Prime Minister 

Josaia Voreqe (Frank) 

Bainimarama made clear 

to his New Zealand counterpart 

John Key that he was prepared 

to open a new chapter in 

bilateral relations but warned 

that his country had the right to 

pursue its priorities, seek orderliness 

in its affairs and maintain 

the integrity of its sovereign. 

While the country extended 

its traditional, warm reception 

to Mr Key, its leader did not 

lose the opportunity of telling his 

State Guest that New Zealand had 

set itself on the wrong foot with 

sanctions and other measures 

that hurt Fiji. 

Points of difference 

Speaking at a State Banquet 

that he hosted in honour of Mr 

Key at the Grand Pacific Hotel on 

July 9, he reminded him that Fiji 

is not New Zealand and that his 

country has different challenges 

and priorities. 

“We are not the New Zealand 

democracy, evolved and robust. 

We are the Fijian democracy, finally 

genuine yet still in its relative 

infancy and with institutions 

that need to be strengthened. 

And we are not the New Zealand 

economy. Our economy needs to 

have its fundamentals protected 

and strengthened to empower all 

Fijians,” he said. 

Indian Newslink will publish 

Rugby was the symbol of gift exchanged- Bainimarama received a Rugby ball and 

presented a T Shirt to John Key with his name inscribed- at the Joint Press Statement 

in Suva on June 10 

the full text of Mr Bainimarama’s 

speech in its next (July 1, 2016) issue. 

The speech covered a wide 

range of topics but contained in 

good measure words of anger 

and frustration towards the New 

Zealand government. 

Warm Welcome 

Barring those blunt words, Mr 

Bainimarama was at his usual 

fun-loving best. 

He was at the Nausori Airport 

on June 9 as the Royal New 

Zealand Airforce Hercules landed 

with Mr Key, Foreign Minister 

Murry McCully and a delegation 

comprising officials and media. 

Among those present at the 

Tarmac to receive him were 

Attorney General Ayyaz Sayed 

Khaiyum, Foreign Minister 

Inoke Kubuabola, other ministers 

and senior officials of the 

government. 

Mr Key inspected a 100-man 

Guard of Honour. 

Soon thereafter, he was accorded 

a formal, ceremonial welcome, 

known in Fiji as ‘Sevusevu’ 

at the Valenibose Grounds in the 

Capital City of Suva. The elaborate 

ceremony described Mr Key 

as a distinguished guest and that 

the people of Fiji extended their 

fraternal ties to the people of 

New Zealand. 

In many ways, it was a touching 

and emotional ceremony. 

The fact that the Bainimarama 

government was serious and sincere 

about the visit of the New 

Zealand Prime Minister, the 

first since 2006, was evident in 

the signage boards that said, ‘A 

warm welcome to Rt Hon John 

Key, Prime Minister of New 

Zealand’ throughout the enroute 

from Nausori to Suva. 

Closer engagement 

At each Stand Up with the media 

travelling with him, Mr Key 

hoped that his visit would open a 

new chapter in New Zealand-Fiji 

relations. 

Bainimarama speaking at the State Banquet in Suva on June 9 

“We have come with an 

open mind to discuss ways and 

means of engaging with the 

Bainimarama government for 

the betterment of the people 

of both countries. More than 

100,000 New Zealanders visit Fiji 

every year as tourists, while New 

Zealand is home for about 50,000 

Fijians. We should be able to establish 

better relations with Fiji,” 

he said. 

More Reports and pictures 

on the visit of Prime Minister 

John Key to Fiji appear in this 

Special Section. 

Kitchen&Lighting NZ Ltd 

We will work with you and your ideas and design to 

your exact specifications. 

We stand for high quality workmanship and service. 

We provide free measurement, design and quotation. 

WANT TO LEARN ENGLISH? 

It’s not too late to get the English language 

skills to live, work or study in 2016. 

At MIT we'll help you develop your speaking, listening and 

writing skills. You'll become confident using English in everyday 

situations, at work or for studying. 

We have courses for all levels (beginner to advanced) and you 

can study part-time or full-time. 

Services 

• Cabinet Making 

• Custom Designing 

• Installation 

• Measurement 

• Quotation 

• Stone Cutting 

Our business range: 

• Bench tops 

• Cabinets - 

for the kitchen,Vanities, 

Wardrobe 

• Door sheet 

• LED Bulbs 

For more information and for queries, please give us a call today. 

Kitchen&Lighting NZ Ltd 

43 Queens Road, Panmure, Auckland 

E-mail:kitchenlighting@yahoo.co.nz 

www.kitchenlighting.co.nz 

Opening Hours 

Monday-Friday 

09:00a.m. - 05:30p.m. 

Tel: 09 527 6088 

HELPING FAMILIES GET AHEAD 

New Zealand Certificate in English Language 

(Levels 2-5) to help with your studies 

Free* English, Literacy and Numeracy and ESOL 

programmes, to help in work and everyday 

situations 

*Free to New Zealand citizens and residents entitled to reside in New Zealand indefinitely. Entry criteria apply. 

KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI 

NATIONAL LIST MP 

RT HON JOHN KEY 

PRIME MINISTER 

DR PARMJEET PARMAR 

NATIONAL LIST MP 

HON SAM LOTU IIGA 

MINISTER FOR ETHNIC 

COMMUNITIES 

MKT119_04_02-3 

Apply now and start 25 July. 

manukau.ac.nz | 09 968 8735 

Funded by the ParliamentaryService & 

authorisedbyJohnKey MP,ExecutiveWing, 

Parliament, Molesworth St,Wellington 

Kanwaljit’s email: bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz 

Parmjeet’s email: parmjeet.parmar@parliament.govt.nz 

www.national.org.nz


New Zealand must regain Fiji to its fold 


FIJILINK - John Key Visit Special 

07 

Despite the differences on a number 

of issues most notably media 

freedom, Pacific Islands Forum and 

Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic 

Relations (PACER) Plus, New Zealand and 

Fiji must work together, for the sake of 

the people in both countries. 

More than 50,000 Fijians live and work 

in New Zealand, while about 100,000 New 

Zealanders visit Fiji every year for business 

and leisure. They need to be assured 

that the respective governments have 

bona fide interest in their well-being. 

Aftermath of Coup 

On that score, the visit of Prime 

Minister John Key to Fiji (on June 9 and 

June 10, 2016) had the markings of improving 

friendship, although his host and 

Fijian counterpart Josaia Voreqe (Frank) 

Bainimarama was warm and welcoming 

but forthright and tough. He did not 

mince words when he expressed his chagrin 

at the way he and his country were 

treated by New Zealand and its government 

in the aftermath of the military 

coup that he staged on December 5, 

2016 to oust the government of Laisenia 

Qarase on alleged irregularities, corruption 

and demographic polarisation. 

“The strains and irritants that have 

marked our political relationship in recent 

years are a textbook lesson on how 

not to conduct friendly relations between 

neighbouring governments. They must 

be replaced by genuine cooperation and 

understanding. And I ask you and your 

government to work with us to create a 

better framework in which to conduct 

our affairs. Less prescriptive. More consultative. 

More understanding of the challenges 

we face,” he said. 

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key with Lt Commander 

Andrew aboard ‘HMNZS Otago’ at the Suva 

Seaport on June 10. 

Mr Bainimarama was not receptive to 

New Zealand’s request to support the candidacy 

of Helen Clark to the post of UN 

Secretary General. The fact that he had not 

forgotten the barrage of attacks that Ms 

Clark felt obliged to throw at him following 

the events of December 5, 2016 was evident 

in his banquet speech. 

He however appealed to Mr Key to work 

with him and his government to strengthen 

Fiji’s democracy, and improve the lives 

of Fijians and other Pacific Islands. 

“Democracy in Fiji is still in its infancy 

and hence cannot be as robust and developed 

as it is in New Zealand but given the 

time, understanding and goodwill, it will 

grow to stabilise the country Help us build 

strong institutions without political bias or 

interference. Help us build our resilience 

to climate change and access financial facilities 

we need to do so,” he said. 

More Reports and pictures on the visit 

of Prime Minister John Key to Fiji appear 

in this Special Section. 

AUCKLAND IS 

ON THE MOVE! 

Land That Job Now! 

WHY WAIT? 

BEST GRADUATES 

GET JOBS 

Free job placement service for all students 

Flexible online learning in all Industry Programmes: 

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 

FREIGHT & LOGISTICS 

TOURISM & TRAVEL 

RETAIL & BUSINESS 

Bainimarama with Key at the traditional welcome in Suva on June 9. 

Media can criticise but cannot twist facts 

Frank Bainimarama 

Let me also confront head on the issue 

of media freedom and more 

particularly, the right of access to 

Fiji by certain of your journalists. 

No one who reports on events in 

Fiji fairly and in a balanced manner is 

excluded. 

Any journalist is free to criticise my 

government or me in an opinion piece or 

report criticism made by others in their 

news stories. 

But we cannot allow the wilful propagation 

of false information that damages 

the national interest and undermines our 

vulnerable economy. 

And that is what has happened in the 

case of certain New Zealand journalists 

and others from Australia. 

Incidentally, no journalist from any other 

country has been banned from Fiji. 

Wrong footage 

New Zealand television ran footage of 

tanks in the streets of Suva when our military 

does not own any tanks. They had 

been interposed from other sources. 

A claim was made that Fijian children 

were starving and were eating grass. 

These are egregious examples of wilful 

bias and misreporting. 

As a great British newspaper editor 

once said, “Comment is free but facts are 

sacred.” 

Yet, certain journalists in New Zealand 

and Australia, along with certain journalists 

in Fiji, think nothing of dispensing 

with the facts if they get in the way of the 

politically weighted narrative they want 

to tell. 

We are saying to the news organisations 

that employ them: “Send someone 

else. Someone who respects the facts and 

the right of people to know the truth. Not 

some twisted concoction.” 

Positive engagement 

You have said that what has happened 

in the past is ancient history and you are 

looking for a more positive engagement 

yourself. 

It is a sentiment I welcome. Because Fiji 

and New Zealand have had far too long 

a friendship and we are far too close geographically 

to allow this opportunity to 

pass. Friends can also say things to each 

other that others cannot. 

Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama 

is Prime Minister of Fiji. The above is 

an extract of his speech at the State 

Banquet that he hosted in honour of 

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key 

at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on 

June 9, 2016. The full text of his speech 

will appear in our next issue. 

More Reports and pictures on the visit 

of Prime Minister John Key to Fiji appear 

in this Special Section. 

“I loved the e-Learning 

experience and industry 

relevant courses at BEST” 

Leshmi Devi 

BEST GRADUATE 

CERTIFICATE IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM LEVEL 3 

GET A COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT 

ADVANTAGE AT BEST 

ENROLLING NOW 

Call 0800 425 624 or Visit 

www.bestpacific.ac.nz 

Follow us and LIKE us on facebook 

@ BEST Pacific Institute of Education


08 FIJILINK - John Key Visit Special 

Wellington must stand the litmus test of diplomacy 

Mahendra Sukhdeo 

New Zealand Prime 

Minister John Key’s visit 

to Fiji last week was a 

defining moment in Kiwi-Fiji 

relations. The visit is likely 

to modify and strengthen the ties 

that had thawed in recent years. 

Although the visit was more 

ceremonial, it signified the 

mutuality of interests of both 

countries to improve their 

relations. It came in the wake of 

the bonhomie ensuing from New 

Zealand’s prompt and extensive 

aid to Fiji during Cyclone Winston 

early this year. 

New Zealand and Fiji have had 

long and roller-coaster relations 

since the colonial days and in 

Fiji’s independent era, New 

Zealand’s colonial perceptions 

and neo-colonial attitudes largely 

stymied the ties. 

New Zealand Territory? 

It is not so well known that in 

1919, there was a move to place 

Fiji as a federated state of New 

Zealand, whereupon the then 

leader of the Fiji Indians, Manilal 

Doctor petitioned that based on 

its population, Fiji should be part 

of India! 

But, a more tangible incident 

of colonial claptrap was when at 

the height of Fiji’s first industrial 

strike in 1920, New Zealand’s 

then Prime Minister, William 

Massey sent an expeditionary 

force, the steamer, ‘Tutanekai’ 

loaded with soldiers and 

machine guns for the ‘safety of 

the white population.’ 

It gave fillip to the first exodus 

of Indians and contaminated 

race relations in Fiji (Please read 

my book, ‘Aryan Avatars,’ Pages 

81 to 83). 

The upshot of the New Zealand 

action was that the remnants of 

arms and ammunitions became 

the nucleus of Fiji’s military 

force and Australasians began to 

stamp their mark on the South 

Pacific as an arena “reserved 

for Europeans, not Asian 

expansion.” 

Isn’t history repeating itself 

now? 

Aggressive paternalism 

The Western political 

dominance since the beginning 

of explorations and colonialism 

has been entwined with the 

indulgent value system based 

on aggressive paternalism and 

espousal of democracy. 

There is an intrinsic contradiction 

between dominance 

and democracy. The means and 

ends do not match and therefore 

the predilection of glorifying 

democracy while subscribing to 

direct or indirect exploitation, 

discrimination and inequity 

sounds hollow for majority of the 

developing nations. 

Australia and New Zealand are 

part of this socio-political milieu. 

Sanctions and isolation 

Downward diplomatic 

trajectory began with Fiji’s 1987 

coups that sent shockwaves in 

the Pacific region dominated by 

Australia and New Zealand. 

However, it was the 

acquisition of power by Josaia 

Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama on 

Frank Bainimarama receives John Key on arrival at Nausori Airport on June 9 

December 5, 2006 that created an 

avalanche of fissures that continues 

to haunt the relationship. 

New Zealand pounced upon the 

Bainimarama government with 

sanctions, withdrawal of aid, 

barring entry of key military/ 

civil personnel and cessation of 

seasonal workers and immigration 

quota schemes. 

It insidiously worked to isolate 

Fiji from the United Nations 

Peace Keeping Force and the 

British Army. Neither Australia 

nor NewZealand contemplated 

such sanctions against the 

Egyptian military that forcibly 

removed the democratically 

elected Morsi regime or the 

coups in Pakistan and Thailand. 

This was a hard line approach, 

a retrograde step by the regional 

powers. 

Bainimarama would never 

forget his denial of entry to 

New Zealand to attend to a 

familial need. The wound is still 

festering. 

Asia fills the gap 

Fiji was in a diplomatic limbo. 

The gap was filled by China, 

India, and Malaysia and more 

recently by Russia, Indonesia 

and the Pacific nations. 

The Pacific Ocean is no longer 

the exclusive backyard of 

Australia and New Zealand. Its 

sphere of influence has substantially 

widened. 

Russia is not regarded as 

an enemy with a poisonous 

ideology. 

The Russian Embassy does not 

now have to issue a secretive 

visa as it did for me to visit Moscow 

on my way to attend Berlin’s 

1986 XI World Conference of 

Labour. 

With the resumption of 

diplomatic ties in 2014 after Fiji’s 

last General Elections and the 

recent camaraderie developed 

between the two countries following 

Tropical Cyclone Winston 

devastation, there are efforts at 

fence building. 

There are however several 

areas that require a rethink, 

more particularly on the part of 

New Zealand in the context of 

the new alignment of diplomatic 

forces. 

Pro-Pacific Policy 

Firstly, New Zealand has to get 

out of the coattails of Australia 

and forge a more pro-Pacific 

foreign policy. 

Unlike Australia, New Zealand 

has a large Pacific Diaspora 

including that of Indo-Fijians, Samoans, 

Tongans, Cook and other 

Islanders, It has a more humane 

immigration and detention policy. 

In addition, it has (a) positive 

schemes for seasonal workers 

and immigration intakes from 

Pacific Island nations (b) given 

formal recognition to the first 

settlers and (c) a more resilient 

outlook on environment and 

welfare. Above all, its geographical 

location and population mix 

is more attuned to the Pacific 

nations. It is the feeling of identity 

that has to be pursued. 

Secondly, New Zealand should 

not be seen to be patronising 

when dealing with Pacific leaders. 

The litmus test of diplomacy 

is both in style and substance. 

The Pacific Island Forum, a 

colonial structural anachronism, 

needs to be reinvented. As part 

of diplomatic fence-mending, 

New Zealand must Z has to 

recognise Fiji’s leadership in the 

Pacific, its position in the UN 

Group of 77 and international 

sugar-producing groups. It is evident 

that China and India heads 

scored a diplomatic coup by 

being the first to be in Fiji after 

the elections and Fiji seized the 

opportunity to invite the other 

heads of Pacific Island Nations to 

meet with them in Suva. 

Climate Change 

New Zealand must align its 

climate change policies with 

the sentiments of the Pacific 

Islanders. Fiji took the Suva 

Declaration for a cap on carbon 

emissions at 2deg. C to the 2015 

Paris Conference. It provided a 

benchmark for an agreement 

to be reached at 1.5 deg. Fiji is 

aware of the excruciating effect 

of cyclones and at the World 

Humanitarian Summit pressed 

for a permanent home for people 

displaced from low lying areas. 

New Zealand can help in this 

arena. 

Bainimarama walks with John Key for a ceremonial welcome on June 9 

John Key with Bainimarama and others at the State Banquet on June 9 

John Key on board HMNZS Otago on June 10 

More Reports and pictures 

on the visit of Prime Minister 

John Key to Fiji appear in this 

Special Section. Performers at Naiyala High School on June 10


FIJILINK - John Key Visit Special 

09 

Labour MP condemns visit as lost opportunity 

David Shearer 

When Prime Minister 

John Key described 

the aftermath of 

the 2006 military 

coup in Fiji as “ancient history,” 

it became obvious that his diplomatic 

visit to Fiji (from June 9 to 

June 10, 2016) might not go according 

to plan. 

It just did not sound honest 

when only two years ago Fiji finally 

had democratic elections 

following the 2006 military 

coup. 

No one should write off eight 

years of military rule endured 

by the people of Fiji so glibly, 

and as though they never 

happened. 

An embarrassment 

The result has been an embarrassment 

for our Prime Minister 

and New Zealand as a whole. 

Instead of playing the gracious 

host, and playing to Key’s naive 

offer of putting the past behind 

us, Fijian Prime Minister Frank 

Bainimarama used the opportunity 

to harangue New Zealand 

in front of the assembled media. 

Bainimarama refused, as is 

usual at the joint PM media 

briefing to answer questions 

from the New Zealand media - 

and our media meekly obliged 

by not asking any. 

Frank Bainimarama and John Key at the Press Meet held at the Office of Fijian Prime Minister in Suva on Friday, June 10, 2016. 

Picture by Sanjesh Narayan of Radio Tarana. 

Either he was scared of having 

to face journalists that have 

not been bullied into submission 

as the Fiji media has been; 

or he felt answering questions 

was beneath him. Either 

way, accountability to the public 

is clearly not part of the lexicon 

of Fiji’s democracy under 

Bainimarama. 

Serious concern 

Media freedom is a serious 

concern. New Zealand journalists 

Michael Field and Barbara 

Dreaver were banned from visiting 

Fiji as part of the media 

delegation from New Zealand - 

both are experienced specialist 

Pacific affairs correspondents 

who should have been there. 

There have also been issues 

with the functioning of Fiji’s 

Parliament. 

Only two weeks ago, a prominent 

opposition MP was banned 

from Parliament for two years 

by the Privileges Committee 

dominated by the governing 

Party for simply calling a minister 

a ’fool’, a disproportionate 

penalty. 

Democracy undermined 

It was a reminder to us all 

that despite its general election, 

Fiji still lacks some of the basic 

tenets of a democracy. They 

are the very issues that should 

be discussed during a top-level 

diplomatic visit - but our Prime 

Minister seemed determined to 

ignore them on last week’s trip - 

or laugh them off. 

In fact, allowing himself to be 

manipulated as he did, Mr Key’s 

visit did a huge disservice to all 

the people working to bring a 

free media, democracy and human 

rights to Fiji. 

New Zealand has always stood 

side by side with Fiji and we 

have a warm, close friendship 

with its people - and we always 

will. 

We sent flights, an aid ship 

and our service people to Fiji 

in response to the devastation 

caused by Cyclone Winston. 

In times of emergency it is important 

to stand by our friends. 

But it is just as important to 

speak up when things are not 

right rather than looking the 

other way. 

Retrograde step 

At a government-to-government 

level, this trip has taken 

our relationship backwards 

rather than forwards. 

Last week’s visit was a chance 

for John Key to put democracy 

and human rights on the 

agenda, but he did not take the 

opportunity. 

Predictably, it backfired. 

Instead of newspaper headlines 

and photos covering Prime 

Ministerial meetings with Fiji’s 

human rights organisations, 

media representatives and opposition 

parties, the defining 

images of Key’s Fiji visit were 

of Frank Bainimarama defending 

the 2006 coup, criticising 

New Zealand journalists and 

standing by his media restrictions 

- while our Prime Minister 

looked on. 

David Shearer is an elected 

Member of Parliament from 

Mt Albert in Auckland and 

Labour Party’s spokesman for 

Foreign Affairs. Please read 

our response to the above article, 

‘Journalists aware of 

Questions ban’ and other related 

stuff in this Special Report. 

There’s a new food law. It helps you keep your food and customers safe. 

FIND OUT WHERE YOU FIT UNDER THE NEW LAW 

www.mpi.govt.nz/foodact

10 


BUSINESSLINK / FIJILINK 

Key dismisses piece-meal Free Trade 

Venkat Raman 

venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Prime Minister John Key 

has discounted any suggestion 

that New Zealand 

would accept piece-meal 

negotiation for free trade with 

India. 

“Such an arrangement would 

not be in the interests of New 

Zealand. We will wait as long as 

it takes to sign a comprehensive 

Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 

with India. I do understand that 

such pacts do not come about 

easily,” he said, speaking at the 

concluding session of the annual 

India New Zealand Business 

Council (INZBC) at Langham 

Hotel in Auckland on Monday, 

June 13, 2016. 

He was responding to comments 

made earlier by Arvind 

Mehta, Additional Secretary, 

Commerce & Industry Ministry, 

Government of India and Lead 

Negotiator for FTA. 

Mr Mehta had suggested that 

New Zealand should take ‘what 

is offered’ and then proceed 

from thereon for further discussions 

for a free trade pact. 

“New Zealand will not be 

able to negotiate with other 

countries for FTA if it accepts 

partial agreement with India. 

We wish to continue on the path 

for a comprehensive deal even 

if takes longer. I do understand 

India’s standpoint but any trade 

agreement should be fair and 

workable,” he said. 

The issue of Q&A and ban on Journalists in Fiji 

Venkat Raman 


Wenceslaus Antony and Rattan Sagar Khanna sign a MoU, watched by Bhav Dhillon 

Serious challenges 

Mr Mehta had said, “FTAs pose 

several challenges and India 

has to take into account a number 

of factors before agreeing 

to grant concessions on trade 

tariffs. We would therefore 

suggest that New Zealand 

accepts whatever is offered for 

the time-being. We can continue 

to discuss and negotiate on all 

other matters.” 

Mr Mehta’s stand not 

only poured cold water on 

New Zealand’s enthusiasm 

and reaffirmed the opinions of 

experts that a FTA with India 

would not occur in the near 

future, especially since bilateral 

trade between the two countries 

continues to be in favour of New 

Zealand. 

Trade Statistics 

Every speaker at the Summit, 

Fiji’s Leader of the Opposition Ro Teimumu Kepa with Prime Minister John Key on June 10 in her Suva Office 

(Picture from her Facebook). 

Labour MP David Shearer 

has criticised Prime 

Minister John Key for 

‘wasting an opportunity’ 

of taking up ‘issues of 

relevance’ with his Fijian counterpart 

Josaia Voreqe (Frank) 

Bainimarama during his visit to 

Fiji last week. 

His article, unedited, appears 

in this section. 

However, as a member of the 

Media delegation that accompanied 

Mr Key to Fiji on June 9 

and 10, 2016, the first by a New 

Zealand Prime Minister in ten 

years, I am duty bound to clarify 

a few issues. 

Shearer’s right 

As the Editor of this newspaper 

and as a journalist who defends 

freedom of the press and 

democratic traditions, I do not 

question the right of Mr Shearer 

to his opinion. Perhaps, if he 

was the Prime Minister of New 

Zealand and if he were to undertake 

a State visit to Fiji under 

the current set of circumstances, 

he may have confronted Mr 

Bainimarama and objected to 

his handling of the New Zealand 

media, including banning a few 

to his country. 

It was indeed true that the 

government of Fiji had informed 

long before we departed 

New Zealand that there would 

be no questions to be asked at 

the Joint Press Statement at his 

office on Friday, June 10, 2016. 

Those who accompanied Mr 

Key had the choice not to undertake 

the trip. But all of us did, 

because many of us are used to 

his ‘No Questions Allowed’ syndrome, 

from even the champions 

of democracy such as 

United States of America, 

United Kingdom, Australia and 

India. 

There were occasions when 

visiting Presidents, Prime 

Ministers, Secretaries of State, 

including Mr Key placed the 

value of two-way trade at $2 

billion but the Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs & Trade places 

the amount at $1.1 billion as at 

the end of financial year 2014. 

Of these, exports to India was 

valued at $618 million, while 

imports were $508 million. 

The tenth round of negotiations 

concluded in February 

2015. Lip service continues 

unabated, although there has 

been no tangible progress. 

Indian Newslink will analyse 

the related issues in its July 1, 

2016 edition. 

Notwithstanding the FTA 

inertia, INZBC deserves credit 

for having organised its Annual 

Summit well, inaugurating a 

new era of partnership and 

cooperation between the 

Foreign Ministers and others 

have made it known that media 

presence would be confined 

to photo opportunities and that 

there would be Stand Up. 

Dinner Speech 

There have been strong opposition 

to the tough stand that 

Mr Bainimarama took when 

he spoke at the State banquet 

that he hosted for Mr Key at the 

two countries in agriculture, 

agro-technology and other areas 

of mutual interest. 

With its theme, ‘Growing for 

Tomorrow: Spotlight Agritech,’ 

the one-day event evinced the 

interest of decision makers in 

ministries, government organisations 

and agencies, private 

sector companies, exporters, 

importers and traders in either 

country. 

Preceding Fieldays 

The event is a culmination 

of a series of discussions, 

stemming from a Memorandum 

of Understanding signed by 

INZBC with the New Zealand 

Fieldays Society, the foremost 

organisation of the country’s 

agricultural sector. The Summit 

precedes the annual four-day 

Fieldays, scheduled to be held 

from June 15 to June 18, 2016 at 

Mystery Creek Events Centre, 

Hamilton. 

Wenceslaus Anthony, Head of 

Government Relations INZBC 

and Dr Rattan Sagar Khanna, 

Co-Chairman, Agribusiness and 

Dairy Committee of the Punjab, 

Haryana & Delhi Chambers of 

Commerce & Industry signed a 

Memorandum of Understanding 

to promote the interests of 

businesses in New Zealand and 

India. 

They were speakers at 

the event, along with INZBC 

Chairman Robert Barker and 

Treasurer Bhav Dhillon. 

Grand Pacific Hotel on June 9, 

2016. 

Speaking to us later, Mr Key 

said that he was not surprised. 

“He has made similar remarks 

in the past and may repeat 

them in the future. I am here 

to restart our relations with 

Fiji,” he said and clarified New 

Zealand’s stand on a number of 

issues including its membership 

Prime 

Minister 

likely to 

visit India 

New Zealand Prime Minister 

John Key said that he 

may pay an official visit to 

India in October this year. 

“We are working with the 

Indian government on this 

possibility. I recently met Indian 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

in Washington DC recently. 

There is a large potential to 

expand our bilateral relations” 

he said. 

Mr Key made these comments 

while speaking at the concluding 

session of the Business Summit 

of the India New Zealand Business 

Council at Langham Hotel 

in Auckland. 

and that of Fiji to the Pacific 

Islands Forum. 

These and our opinions thereof 

appear elsewhere in this 

Special Report. 

It would be unfair to say that 

Mr Bainimarama was hostile. 

On the contrary, we found genuine 

warmth in the way in 

which Mr Key was received and 

conducted, with signage boards 

and school children line-up on 

streets waving to him. 

Opposition Leader 

There was no opportunity to 

pose questions to Opposition 

Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa, who 

held a 30-minute meeting with 

Mr Key at her office. Our stay 

was limited to less than two 

minutes for photographs. 

Later she described her 

discussions with Key as 

‘successful.’ 

Speaking to Fiji Times Online, 

Ms Kepa said that she had 

raised her disappointment with 

Mr Key on the changes to the 

Parliamentary Standing Orders 

to remove an Opposition 

Chairman from the Public 

Accounts Committee in Fiji. 

“I also highlighted the continued 

existence of the Media 

Decree and its imposition on 

the Fiji media which was still 

not removed,” she said. 

Following her meeting, Ms 

Kepa wrote on her Facebook 

Page: “John Key is my new 

hero. He is beautiful, smart and 

supports SODELPA all the way. 

We had a good chat on how to 

oust the Fiji government.”


BUSINESSLINK 

11 

Bootstrapping helps New Zealand farmers 

Venkat Raman 


The ability to innovate, 

seek proper and enduring 

solutions to problems 

and resilience are some 

of the factors that contribute to 

the progress of New Zealand’s 

agricultural sector, an expert 

has said. 

Simon Brown, General 

Manager, Accelerator Services, 

Callaghan Innovation, said 

that New Zealand has a unique 

faming and technological sector 

which complements each other 

for the overall benefit of the 

agricultural industry. 

Technologists adept 

“Our farmers are business 

people and our scientists in the 

agricultural area are farmers. 

Our farmers are predominantly 

growers and our technologists 

follow them to understand their 

needs and expectations,” he said. 

He was speaking at the Agri- 

Tech Summit organised by the 

India New Zealand Business 

Council (INZBC) at Langham 

Hotel, Auckland. 

“This involves working with 

them to identify their opportunities 

and barriers to growth 

including connecting them to 

the right technologies, talent and 

funding.” 

Mr Brown said that New 

Zealand exports of agricultural, 

dairy, meat and other products 

currently feed about 40 million 

Picture taken at the dinner hosted by INZBC on June 12 shows (from left) Trade Commissioner (Delhi) Jane Cunliffe, Sudhanshu 

Pandey, Joint Secretary Commerce & Industry Delhi, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (National MP), Arvind Mehta (Lead Negotiator), Wenceslaus 

Anthony, Mark Trainor (Principal Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade) and Dr Parmjeet Parmar (National MP 

people in various parts of the 

world. 

Growing global demand 

This figure however pales 

with the existing global demand 

of about seven billion, slated to 

grow to 10 billion over the next 

25 years. 

“Agri Tech in New Zealand 

offers solutions to world problems 

through highly collaborate 

public and private sectors. 

Our farmers are unfettered by 

subsidises and focus on value. 

We have a proud history of boot 

scrapping,” he said. 

Mr Brown however agreed that 

the size of farming geographic 

distance and limited output compared 

to growing world demand 

pose serious challenges. 

“We still create impact in the 

markets in which we operate. 

However, we realise the need 

to be globally competitive,” he 

said. 

Food Safety 

Food Safety Minister Jo 

Goodhew said that New Zealand 

is helping India to improve its 

food safety standards, increase 

yield from land and grow better 

crops. 

She said that there are a 

number of areas in which New 

Zealand has been cooperating 

with India to promote its objectives 

of boosting agricultural 

output. 

“Our apple industry is 

collaborating with a University 

in Himachal Pradesh to increase 

the quality and quantity of apple 

output. The project began in 

2013 and has seen the value of 

apple output increase to US$ 

534 million. This is set to rise to 

more US$ 2 billion by 2030,” she 

said. 

Research Centre 

Outlining the measures being 

taken by her government to promote 

agriculture, farming and 

related industries, she said that 

the establishment of the ‘New 

Zealand Food Safety Science and 

Research Centre’ in Wellington 

in May 2016 as a partnership 

between government, industry 

organisations and research 

institutions. 

“This is a virtual Centre that 

will see the best scientists 

around the country collaborating 

on work programmes 

that cut across different food 

and beverage sectors. It has 

been established in response 

to a key recommendation from 

the Government Inquiry into 

the Whey Protein Concentrate 

Contamination Incident,” Ms 

Goodhew said. 

She said that agritech will 

enable New Zealand to boost its 

productivity and exports. 

ATEED Chief Executive Brett 

O’Riley was the moderator of 

the Panel which comprised 

Gareth Evans, General Manager, 

Autogrow Systems, Ross 

Townshend, Chairman, RML 

Engineering, Earl Rattray, Representative, 

Engender Technologies 

and Dr Frank Scrimgeour, 

Director, Institute for Business 

Research, University of Waikato. 

Important Summit 

More than 200 people attended 

the INZBC Summit 2016, 

with its theme, ‘Growing for 

Tomorrow: Spotlight Agritech.’ 

The Summit preceded the 

annual four-day Fieldays, scheduled 

to be held from June 15 to 

June 18, 2016 at Mystery Creek 

Events Centre, Hamilton. 

INZBC hosted a dinner on 

Sunday, June 12, 2016 at Langham 

Hotel in honour of visiting 

officials of the government, 

trade associations and private 

sector entrepreneurs


12 VIEWLINK 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

Issue 348 | June 15, 2016 

Passage to Fiji 

bumpy but 

endurable 

From all points of view, the two-day visit of Prime 

Minister John Key to Fiji last week opened up as many 

challenges as opportunities and the effective meeting 

and utilisation of which be a two-sided equation. 

The chemistry between Mr Key and Fiji’s Prime Minister 

Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama is yet to evolve into a plausible 

leadership combination for better times ahead, but it was 

easy to see that both were trying hard to make things work. 

If Mr Bainimarama took cudgels against New Zealand and its 

government, he had good reasons for doing so – from his point 

of view. 

Anger and hope 

His speech at the State Banquet hosted in honour of Mr Key 

at the Grand Pacific Hotel on July 9 was punctuated with anger, 

frustration, disappointment and disgruntlement – all of the past 

in which New Zealand was seen as one friend who betrayed. 

The speech was also marked by expectations, hope and 

optimism. 

Mr Bainimarama was thankful to New Zealand for its financial, 

material and military support as his country went through 

the worst aftermath of natural disaster. Tropical Cyclone 

Winston that ravaged through the country on February 20, 

2016 brought many countries rushing to help; of these New 

Zealand stood out in monetary and emotional terms. 

Mr Bainimarama was grateful but set the tone for the future. 

“Your aid must complement the implementation of our policy 

agenda, not undermine it. After all, we do not always want to 

be dependent on aid. And this can only be achieved if we work 

in a collaborative manner. Work with us because there are 

many lucrative business opportunities for New Zealand companies 

given the liberalisation and modernisation of the Fijian 

economy under my Government,” he said. 

Possible Partnership 

Mr Bainimarama believes that Fiji and New Zealand can 

strike a closer bond and a great partnership, provided these are 

based on mutual confidence and trust. 

“Welcome to Fiji. It has been a long time between drinks, 

as they say - 10 years since we last had a New Zealand Prime 

Minister here, even though we now welcome over 100,000 

Kiwis every year. We hope that like them, Fiji will be where 

happiness finds you,” Mr Bainimarama said. 

In that same breath, he quipped, “But just don’t talk about the 

Rugby.” 

Some imponderables 

There are still a number of imponderables that Mr Key 

should work through to regain the confidence, and more important, 

the level of friendship that is worthy of a powerful 

neighbour. 

There are three counts on which Mr Key has not seen any 

success. 

Firstly, his entreaty to return to the Pacific Islands Forum had 

Mr Bainimarama indicate an instant refusal. The Fijian government 

would not think of re-joining the regional bloc (from 

which it was ousted in 2009 and reinstated in 2014), unless 

Australia and New Zealand are ousted or downgraded their 

role and China brought in as a member. 

Secondly, Mr Bainimarama appeared to have been silent 

when Mr Key asked if he would support the candidacy of Helen 

Clark to the post of Secretary General of the UN. But having 

heard his attack on the former New Zealand Prime Minister, 

Fiji is unlikely to be sympathetic or supportive. 

Thirdly, Fiji still has a closed mind on the Pacific Agreement 

on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Trade negotiations, 

saying that it is no longer a promising instrument of development 

and economic growth. 

We will analyse each of these issues in our forthcoming 

editions. 

But for the present, we would like to believe that New 

Zealand and Fiji are on the threshold of a new plane of relationship. 

They need to work together for the betterment of 

their peoples. 

Indian Newslink is published by Indian Newslink Limited from its offices located at Level 

1, Number 166, Harris Road, East Tamaki, Auckland 2013 and printed at Horton Media 

Limited, Auckland. All material appearing here and on our web editions are the copyright 

of Indian Newslink and reproduction in full or part in any medium is prohibited. Indian 

Newslink and its management and staff do not accept any responsibility for the claims 

made in advertisements. 

Managing Director & Publisher: Jacob Mannothra; 

Editor & General Manager: Venkat Raman; 

Production Manager: Mahes Perera; Graphic Designer: Shine Kumar 

Phone: (09) 5336377 Email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Websites: www.indiannewslink.co.nz; www.inliba.com; www.inlisa.com 

Liquidators do not perform serenades 

Pritesh Patel 

Liquidators or Insolvency 

Practitioners are no different 

to funeral directors 

and as such perform the 

last rites of a company to properly 

‘put it to sleep.’ 

You will seldom witness a funeral 

director giving his or her business 

card and the same can be said 

about us, as liquidators in New 

Zealand. 

There are approximately 50 active 

in New Zealand and it is a 

high octane, stressful occupation 

in which a no-nonsense approach 

needs to be taken for effective discharge 

of duties. Sometimes it is 

an ungrateful task and at times 

someone will try and take a swing 

(yes literally!) at you. 

Hostile environment 

Liquidators deal in a hostile environment 

juggling many variables 

simultaneously. 

They include creditors, landlords, 

finance and banking institutions, 

laid off employees and to 

some extent shareholders. 

No two liquidations are the 

same. 

Some of the matters we have 

witnessed in the course of discharging 

our duties are (a) Threats 

by creditors (b) Aggressive stance 

by landlords (c) Houdini’s Act: disappearing 

assets immediately 

upon appointment of a Liquidator 

(d) Stock misappropriation by 

shareholders whilst the Liquidator 

is operating the business in liquidation 

with a view to maximising 

the dividend for creditors and 

(e) Misguided attempt by a debtor 

to issue proceedings against a 

Liquidator when they are lawfully 

discharging their duties. 

On average, there are approximately 

3500 liquidations in New 

Zealand per annum which encompasses 

about 75% as insolvent liquidations 

and the balance made 

up of Solvent Liquidations shared 

amongst about 50 active insolvency 

practitioners like us. 

Solvent Liquidations are for 

companies that have fulfilled their 

purpose or for other reasons and 

hence the shareholder (s) do not 

require them to continue. 

The Law 

All liquidations are governed by 

the Companies Act 1993 and the 

principal duty of a Liquidator is to 

immediately take control of the assets 

of the company. 

Distribution of liquidated assets 

is done in accordance to the Act 

as 1, Secured Asset Distribution 

2, Liquidator’s fees and disbursements 

3. Employee wages including 

Holiday Pay 4. IRD (GST and 

PAYE) 5. Unsecured Creditors and 

6. Shareholders 

At the heart of these is the ‘Pari- 

Passu Rule,’ which prescribes that 

all creditors must be treated equally 

(on a pro-rata basis). 

Topical Issues 

There are a number of issues 

that would be of interest to 

Liquidators, shareholders, the 

business community and even the 

government. Some of them are as 

follows: 

Phoenix Company 

As Liquidators, we see instances 

where a shareholder sets up a 

new company preceding the liquidation 

of the old one. 

The new company ‘inherits’ 

the business. We are required to 

scrutinise all breaches of the law 

including this and there can be 

penalties if the matter is pursued 

through the Court. 

In the past weeks, security 

teams of many businesses have 

been under siege with billions 

of information about various 

accounts stolen. 

Although most of the data hacked 

was at least four years old, it is a 

matter of serious concern. These 

data appeared on the ‘Dark Web,’ a 

section of the Internet for illegal activities. 

The current stolen data was 

uploaded on a website called, ‘The 

Real Deal’ and is sold for thousands 

of dollars, mostly in ‘Bitcoins,’ a 

popular Internet currency. 

The hacker in this connection is 

called, ‘Peace of Mind.’ 

Rising cybercrime 

The global tendency to complete 

most tasks online rather than offline 

has led to the growth of cybercrime. 

Cyber criminals, often 

hackers, proliferate the worldwide 

web. 

Last fortnight, Facebook Chief 

Executive Mark Zuckerberg had his 

Twitter and other social media accounts 

hacked, with his passwords 

uploaded for sale. 

His password, according to 

unconfirmed web reports was 

‘dadada.’ 

Hashing and Salting 

Encryption methods are constantly 

changing and the two methods 

currently in use are ‘Hashing’ 

and ‘Salting.’ 

Hashing: Passwords and such sensitive 

information is never stored 

‘as is.’ 

The cache of passwords is converted 

into a mass of cryptographic 

hashes. 

Hashes are ‘meaningless’ strings 

of characters into which passwords 

are mathematically transformed to 

prevent them from being misused. 

The hashing logic is developed in 

such a way that it is easy to perform, 

but difficult to reverse. 

When a user logs-in to a website, 

the password is hashed using 

the same algorithm and the hashed 

version entered is compared with 

the hashed version of the original 

password set when creating the account. 

If the hashed versions of 

both these passwords match, then 

the programme rightly concludes 

that the “original” password is correct 

and allows further access. 

The Programmes 

Hashing uses specialist programmes. 

The exact kind of hashing 

that the passwords have 

undergone determines how easy or 

difficult it is for potential hackers to 

crack them. 

In simple words, the easier the 

algorithm used for the hashing process, 

the easier it is for the hacker 

to un-hash the passwords. Hashing 

programmes that are commonly 

used are are SHA1, Argon2 and 

bcrypt. 

A hash-cracking programme 

works by generating and guessing 

billions of possible passwords 

Voidable Transactions 

Simply put, the Liquidator is required 

to ascertain if there have 

been any transactions at the expense 

of the current (at the date 

of liquidation) creditors. 

Such transactions are voidable 

and can be reversed (clawed back) 

by the liquidator. 

Shareholders Current Account 

If the shareholder’s current account 

is overdrawn, the Liquidator 

would normally seek repayment 

of the amount. 

We have seen many such cases 

before the Courts recently. 

Reckless Trading 

Liquidators also have an obligation 

to report to the authorities if 

there has been reckless trading by 

the Director(s) of a company to the 

detriment of its creditors. 

Currently we are seeing an upsurge 

in liquidations involving retail 

business. 

High overheads, declining foot 

traffic due to an increase in online 

buying and other reasons are contributing 

to this upsurge. 

In all situations, we believe that 

early intervention is necessary to 

preserve the position of creditors 

and shareholders alike. 

Pritesh Patel is an Insolvency 

Practitioner and Principal of 

Patel & Co. Phone (09) 2776852 

or 021-2775080; Email: pritesh. 

patel@xtra.co.nz; Website: www. 

patelandco.co.nz 

The above article should be read 

as a general interest piece and 

not as an in-depth report or legal 

advice. The views expressed in 

this article are those of Pritesh 

Patel and as such do not reflect 

those of his firm or Indian 

Newslink. Pritesh Patel, Patel & 

Co and Indian Newslink absolve 

themselves of any responsibility 

or liability that may arise in this 

connection. Readers are advised 

Add ‘Salt’ to your passwords and be safe 

Anand Mokashi 

and automatically comparing them 

with the stolen hashed passwords 

to find matches. 

Salting is a technique used to 

strengthen the hashing process 

by adding random characters to 

the original password and subjecting 

them to the hashing algorithm. 

Hackers get confused between the 

real password and the characters 

added (salted). 

The obvious question that is 

asked, is, ‘Can I be 100% safe?’ 

The answer always is, ‘No.’ 

However, by using some commonsense 

techniques, you can minimise 

risks of your data being 

compromised. Do not use easily 

guessable passwords. As a simple 

thumb-rule, if the password is 

in the dictionary, it is a weak password. 

Similarly avoid names of 

spouse, pet, city of birth and common 

words. 

Do not save passwords credit 

cards, financial details and other 

sensitive information online. 

Hackers cannot hack data that are 

not available. As far as possible, do 

not engage in sensitive transactions 

involving money in public places. 

If possible, use credit or debits 

cards with small limits for online 

transactions. 

If you believe that your computer 

has been hacked contact the Police. 

Anand Mokashi is an IT Lecturer, 

Consultant and Digital Media 

Specialist with a passion for all 

things online. Email: anand_mokashi@consultant.com


Budget 2016 leaves 

Auckland high and dry 

With Auckland’s housing crisis making 

headlines and the high levels of frustration 

with growing traffic congestion in the City, the 

time was right for the government to respond 

with some big initiatives in its recent budget. 

BUSINESSLINK 

THIS IS 

SENDING 

TO A 

BANK 

ACCOUNT 

IN INDIA 

FOR 

$5 

13 

Phil Goff 

I 

had big hopes for the Budget. 

Along with the business community 

and many others in Auckland, I was 

however left disappointed. 

There was nothing in the Budget that 

will make any real difference to stopping 

the City’s transport and housing problems 

getting worse by the day. 

Quality spending 

It was not that I had unrealistic expectations 

of the government. 

Every year in the 15 years I served as 

a Cabinet Minister, I participated in the 

Budget process. I know that you cannot 

operate on wish lists. 

The government has to pay for major 

programmes. You have to learn to do 

more with less. The Finance Minister and 

every other Minister has to exercise fiscal 

responsibility, balance the books and ensure 

quality spending. 

However, Budgets are also about priorities. 

They are about dealing with 

problems that hold back our economic 

productivity and cause huge public 

frustration. 

On both of these measures, transport 

and housing ought to have been at the top 

of the Finance Minister’s priorities. 

Missed flight 

The Minister knows from what the 

Productivity Commission and the Council 

for Infrastructure Development have told 

him that worsening traffic congestion 

wastes around $3 billion a year in lost 

productivity and other costs. 

As well, it causes all of us wasted time 

and frustration. 

Last fortnight, for only the second time 

in over 30 years of catching an early 

morning flight to Parliament, I missed the 

plane. A trip that should take half an hour 

took an hour and 10 minutes because the 

roads leading on to the motorway at 630 

am were gridlocked. 

CRL vital 

The City Rail Link which will double 

the number of people who are able to go 

to work by rail and ease road congestion 

is still five years off because Government 

delayed their decision to contribute to it 

by five years. Building new busways and 

creating light rail which we need now to 

ease congestion on the roads are not happening. 

No finance has been set aside for 

them. 

With the fastest population growth taking 

place in Auckland for decades, 800 

extra people a week are coming into 

Auckland. There were another 42,000 cars 

on the road last year. Congestion should 

not be a surprise. 

What surprises is that the City’s population 

has been allowed to grow without 

putting housing and transport infrastructure 

in place to cope with that growth. 

Quality declining 

People want to come to live in Auckland 

because of the quality of life here. But 

with gridlocked streets and unaffordable 

and insufficient houses, we will quickly 

lose the quality of life that makes 

Auckland a great place to be. 

There was capital funding in the Budget 

for roading in Gisborne, Marlborough 

and Taranaki where population growth is 

slow or non-existent, but no capital funding 

for Auckland’s transport. 

On the housing front, the Government 

put money aside to pay for some emergency 

housing beds that already exist, 

but there was nothing to tackle the real 

problems. 

The media has been highlighting cases 

of rampant speculation in Auckland housing. 

One Beach Haven property went up 

$175,000 in 10 weeks recently. That is an 

extra $2300 a day. 

That provides a great profit for someone, 

but at the expense of a family who 

desperately want to buy their own home. 

$17 billion needed 

Auckland City needs $17 billion in roading, 

water and other infrastructure to 

service new houses needing to be built 

around the region. 

Currently the City has very limited ability 

to raise that money. Government rules 

stop it from borrowing the money. 

The money cannot come out of rates. 

Even if rates were to be massively increased, 

which they should not be, each 

1% rise in rates only raises $14 million. 

What we need is long-term low interest 

Infrastructure Bonds to meet the cost of 

providing vital services. Servicing interest 

on that debt will probably need to come 

out of road charging. 

Auckland Council has to do better and 

allow the City to move up and out to cater 

for the housing needs of the extra 700,000 

people expected in Auckland over the 

next 30 years. But the government cannot 

avoid its responsibility. 

Only the Central government has the 

tools necessary to solve the housing crisis, 

such as addressing speculative pressures 

and inaugurating a major programme to 

build affordable houses. 

Auckland Council and the government 

should stop blaming each other and work 

together to resolve the crisis that is hurting 

more and more Aucklanders. 

Phil Goff is former Foreign Affairs, 

Trade and Justice Minister and has 

been Member of Parliament for 35 

years. Elected from Mt Roskill, he is 

today Labour Party’s Spokesperson 

for Defence and Ethnic Communities. 

Mr Goff is a Mayoral candidate for 

Auckland, postal voting for which will 

be held from September 16 to mid-day 

on October 8, 2016. 

TRANSFER FEE 1 

Send money from over 440 

Western Union ® Agent locations 

in New Zealand 2 

Send money online 24/7 

Search for 

$5 transfer fee 1 only 

applies when sending 

from New Zealand to 

India from 12 April to 

30 June 2016 (inclusive) 

“Western Union Online” 

1 

Western Union also makes money from currency exchange. When choosing a money transmitter, carefully compare both transfer fees and exchange 

rates. Fees and foreign exchange rates may vary by brand, channel, and location based on a number of factors. Fees and rates subject to change 

without notice. Subject to applicable taxes (if any). 2 Network data as of March 31, 2016. © 2016 WESTERN UNION HOLDINGS, INC. All rights reserved.


14 BUSINESSLINK 

Unhealthy competition undervalues honest broker 

Venkat Raman 


Despite a rigid regulatory 

regime in place, New 

Zealand’s mortgage and 

insurance brokerage 

market is not immune to rogue 

players, an insider says. 

“It is not uncommon for 

brokers to offer kickbacks to 

customers – that is one variety of 

dishonesty. But there is a more 

serious version of over-valuing 

properties to secure loans; no 

one talks openly about this 

unhealthy practice; but that 

does not rule out its existence,” a 

lender told Indian Newslink but 

would not want to be named. 

Protecting integrity 

Gurudutt Satigrama, who 

recently joined Transparent Finance 

Limited (TFL) as Mortgage 

and Insurance Adviser after 

14 years as Chief Executive of 

Vision Asia in Australia and New 

Zealand, said that the Reserve 

Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) 

and Financial Markets Authority 

(FMA) would do what it takes 

to protect the financial integrity 

of our markets, which is getting 

overcrowded with mortgage and 

insurance brokers. 

“RBNZ regulations on LVR 

(Loan-to-Value Ratio) and rental 

property are defined by their needs 

to regulate the property market. We 

will work within these regulations 

to offer the best solutions to our 

customers,” he said. 

Mr Satigrama said that many 

people, especially people of 

Indian origin are not only 

under-insured but also are not 

well apprised of the products 

and services available. 

Poor Risk Management 

“Risk Management is an 

underserviced industry and it 

is our focus to offer the right 

insurance product that matches 

the need of our clients. We can 

do a ‘Free, No Obligation Review 

of the insurance needs of Indian 

Newslink readers. All they need 

to do is call us on (09) 3905114.” 

An engineering graduate with 

postgraduate degree (Masters) 

in Business management, Mr 

Satigrama has worked for 

major corporates in India and 

hence understands the need for 

proper risk assessment and risk 

management. 

Among the companies in 

which he has worked are 

McCann Advertising, J Walter 

Thompson, BBDO, Star Vijay TV, 

International Music Division 

TV Software at Saregama India 

(the last three as Chief Executive 

Officer). 

Industry responsibility 

Mr Satigrama said that it was 

incumbent on every mortgage 

and insurance broker to ensure 

compliance of the regulations 

in force, since integrity and 

discipline are vital to protect the 

safety of our financial system. 

“Mortgage and Insurance 

industry is highly competitive 

Gurudutt Satigrama 

and competition is fierce with 

a dog-eat-dog mentality. At 

TFL, we believe in being totally 

upfront and honest with our 

clientele. We put the interests of 

our clients first and deliver them 

the best service that the Industry 

offers,” he said. 

“Honesty & Transparency in 

our dealings with both Client & 

the Provider is our ‘differential’ 

in this competitive Industry. Our 

Directors Deep Bajaj and Nayan 

Bhatt have extensive experience 

in the finance industry, having 

worked with leading banks in the 

country.” 

Services range 

Among the services provided 

by his company are Home 

Loans, Refinancing Home Loans, 

Restructuring Home Loans, 

Investment Property Loans, Life 

Insurance, Income Protection 

Insurance, Medical Insurance, 

Trauma Insurance and Total 

Disability Insurance. 

“We can arrange loans from 

various banks and specialist 

lenders as also insurance from 

various insurance providers in 

the market. TFL provides perhaps 

the best customer support 

service in the industry. The most 

common problem that we face 

in our daily routine is managing 

the expectations of clients and 

providers and walking the fine 

line balancing the two,” Mr 

Satigrama said. 

As well as looking at avenues 

to expand market presence and 

market share, TFL constantly 

reviews the performance of clients 

and provides prompt advice 

in loan servicing, restructuring 

finance with change in individual 

circumstances, regulatory 

changes and other developments 

of significance. 

Email: guru@transparentfinance.co.nz 

Online platform connects job givers and seekers 

Sargam Sekhri 

Rahul Suchdev and 

Manfred Lange, 

co-founders of 

‘HOICpro,’ have developed 

it as an online platform 

on which employers and candidates 

connect with each other 

directly, complete all stages of 

the recruitment process in simple 

logical steps and build their 

market and talent brands. 

Employers define searches, 

post advertisements, receive 

responses, access updated 

and verified profiles, and make 

offers. 

Candidates control their profiles, 

negotiate contracts, accept 

or decline offers and recommend 

peers. It is a platform 

with real jobs, genuine candidates 

and no recruiters. 

Fletchers, The Warehouse, 

Air New Zealand, Progressive 

Enterprises (Countdown), 

Bravura, Automobile 

Association, ClearPoint and 

Fraedom are actively accessing 

and engaging with a pool of 

more than 1800 candidates on 

HOICpro. 

Discounted Packages 

The platform offers discounted 

accounting and indemnity 

insurance packages 

to users through its respective 

partnerships with MYOB and 

AdviceFirst, offering direct benefits 

without anyone clipping 

the ticket. 

The HOICpro platform has 

evolved from its launch and development 

in the New Zealand 

IT market. It is now ready to 

add new industries, starting 

with accounting and finance, 

and then, progressing into banking 

and insurance. 

The Principals 

Rahul and Manfred, who have 

35 years of professional experience 

between them, one as a 

Rahul Suchdev 

well-regarded business and recruitment 

specialist, and the 

other in various leadership positions 

in software organisations, 

are supported by a small 

agile team comprising developers, 

design and communication 

consultants and an advisory 

board. 

They bill HOICpro as an innovative, 

New Zealand-grown 

business that has cut its teeth in 

a very competitive and diverse 

market. 

They are proud to be a part of 

a collective effort focused on developing 

HOICpro to be responsive 

to the recruitment needs 

of organisations and workforce 

alike, across sectors in New 

Zealand and globally. 

Their parting advice is to candidates 

and is based on unan- 

Manfred Lange 

imous feedback from various 

clients on HOICpro. 

Clients prefer candidates who 

complete their profiles and create 

a brand that truly reflects 

the candidate’s skill sets and 

experience. 

Interfacing people 

For candidates. this means 

using the video feature to help 

clients put a face to the name, 

getting all work experiences 

verified, and uploading all 

certifications. 

Using the ‘My Activity’ feature 

helps candidates keep track 

of all applications and roles. 

HOICpro has been designed to 

support candidates and clients 

equally to maximise value from 

the platform and from the recruitment 

ecosystem. 

www.hoicpro.com


BUSINESSLINK 

Relianz begins new journey with Travel business 

Venkat Raman 


15 

Relianz Forex Limited (now 

Relianz Group), which 

has registered impressive 

growth since its establishment 

in 2009, launched into travel 

business earlier this month, 

offering tickets and other related 

services through its branches in 

Auckland and Wellington. 

Announcing the move at the 

Seventh Anniversary celebrations 

held at Langham Hotel on June 3, 

2016, V Giridharan, Director of the 

Group described the new business 

as ‘a landmark in his life and that 

of Relianz.’ 

“Whatever we do, we want to 

bring smiles into people’s lives and 

the launch of Travel would open 

the frontiers to contribute to explore 

the most exciting and amazing 

experiences that this world has 

to offer,” he said, addressing his 

employees and invited guests at 

the celebrations. 

He said that he commenced his 

career more than 30 years ago in 

his native Hyderabad in India with 

Thomas Cook, one of the most popular 

travel and money exchange 

companies of the time. 

Celebrating opportunity 

“The success of Relianz is not 

only the success of its founders 

but also a celebration of the opportunity 

that New Zealand provides 

everyone who has made it 

their home. For a first generation 

entrepreneur, it is a daunting 

task and a great challenge but we 

Chief Guest Phil Goff Ravi Gnanadickam with his wife Rema and Giridharan Giridharan with his staff 

have moved on from a two-member 

team to an 18 strong force,” 

he said. 

Writing in Indian Newslink 

(June 15, 2015), Dev Nadkarni, 

a celebrated journalist, currently 

employed as Marketing & 

Communications Manager at 

Pacific Islands Trade & Invest 

based in Auckland, had said that 

Relianz Forex Limited has carved 

a niche for itself as a reliable provider 

of money transfer, money 

exchange and wire transfer 

services. 

He was the Master of 

Ceremonies at the Sixth 

Anniversary celebrations held 

on June 3, 2015 at Hilton Hotel in 

Auckland. 

“In essence, the Company has 

lived up to its name, promoting 

the best interests of customers, 

complying in the process, with the 

rules and regulations in force,” he 

had said. 

Mr Nadkarni was the Master 

of the Ceremonies at this year’s 

event as well and his comments 

about Relianz continue to hold 

currency. 

Man of Vision 

Relianz is essentially a brainchild 

of Mr Giridharan and he remains 

at the core of its operations 

and decision-making, but he willingly 

accords the credit for the 

company’s enviable success to 

his staff, particularly to Meghna 

Daiya, who has been with Relianz 

since the beginning and Manoj. 

“Foreign Exchange business is 

high risk and we believe that our 

responsibility is high. We have 

been proactive in our approach 

and though the ‘Anti-Money 

Laundering and Countering 

Financing of Terrorism Act’ became 

effective in July 2013, we 

have been very strict in our compliance 

since we commenced 

operations in 2009. We have invested 

in technology, have effective 

risk mitigation policy and 

Suganya Premnath, Veena Nadkarni, Meghna Daiya and Annamma Thomas 

procedures, annual audits and 

conduct training programs for 

every teGood Corporate Citizen 

“Relianz is still small but a very 

responsible corporate citizen 

that stands for sound principles 

of transparency, integrity and responsibility. 

We are motivated, 

passionate, proactive and always 

striving for growth. We are profitable 

and successful,” he said. 

“We have begun to mark June 

3 as an annual event to celebrate 

our anniversary and a reminder 

of the great contribution of the 

past and existing members of the 

company. 

Among those present at the celebrations 

were former Foreign 

Affairs and Trade Minister, 

Member of Parliament and 

Auckland Mayoral candidate Phil 

Goff, Members of Parliament 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (National), 

Mahesh Bindra (New Zealand 

First) and Ravi Gnanadickam, 

who trained and initiated Mr 

Giridharan into the business.

16 


BUSINESSLINK 

Balance Sheets essential for Not-for-profit Groups 

Cherie Trewavas 

In my previous article 

(Indian Newslink, May 15 

2016) I wrote about financial 

basics for Not-for-profit 

organisations and the importance 

of running an efficient 

business and how your primary 

financial statements are the key. 

I had also discussed the Profit 

and Loss statement. 

We will now look at Balance 

Sheet, the second essential 

document. 

All businesses, including Notfor-Profit 

organisations, must 

keep a Balance Sheet along with 

a Profit and Loss statement, to 

meet the minimum financial reporting 

requirements set out 

by Inland Revenue Department 

(IRD). 

You can find out more about 

these minimum requirements 

at www.ird.govt.nz 

What is a Balance Sheet? 

A Balance Sheet, also known 

as a Statement of Financial 

Position, presents a snapshot 

of the financial position of an 

Organisation at a given point in 

time. 

Simply put, it summarises 

what you own versus what you 

owe at the end of the financial 

year. It informs stakeholders of 

your company’s financial position 

(i.e. how much cash you 

have and how easily you can 

pay your debts). 

Balance sheets are made up 

of three main components, including 

Assets, Liabilities and 

Equity. 

In basic terms, Equity is what 

is left after subtracting the liabilities 

from the assets. 

So far, so simple, however, it 

does get more complicated because 

of the way your Assets 

and Liabilities need to be classified 

as Current or Non-Current. 

Current means the things for 

which the benefit will be seen 

in the current financial year. 

Non-current are things where 

the benefit will not be realised 

until sometime outside of this 

12-month period. 

Assets 

The Assets section of a 

Balance Sheet will list any cash 

sitting in the bank along with 

other assets, which can be 

things like land, buildings, furniture 

and equipment. As mentioned, 

these Assets should be 

separated into Current and Noncurrent 

to figure out which to 

which accounting period the 

benefit should be attributed. 

Current Assets will be cash 

in the bank while Non-current 

could be a term deposit that 

will not mature for a couple 

of years; it is still an asset, but 

you will not see any benefit until 

later. 

Liabilities 

These are things such as debts 

and income tax payable. 

Again, these liabilities are divided 

into Current and Noncurrent. 

A term loan is a good 

example of a Non-current liability, 

while income tax payable is 

classed as Current. 

Equity 

The total of Liabilities is subtracted 

from the total in the 

Assets column, and you end up 

with equity; what belongs to 

your Non-Profit group. 

At this point, you are probably 

thinking that all these sound 

very similar to the Profit and 

Loss Sheet, and you would be 

right, at a first glance, at least. 

The difference is in the way 

they treat time. Whereas the 

Profit and Loss Statement looks 

at the income and costs as they 

are happening to show if you 

are profitable, the Balance Sheet 

takes a broader look at all these 

component parts, including 

long-term Assets and Liabilities 

and shows how much your organisation 

is actually worth, not 

just how much money is coming 

in or leaving. 

More intricacies 

There are still more intricacies 

to come to grips with when 

it comes to classifying the outgoings 

and deciding which document 

to record things in. For 

instance, repairs and maintenance 

would go on the Profit 

and Loss Sheet but Capital 

Expenditure (purchasing a new 

asset) goes on the Balance Sheet. 

To help get you thinking in 

the right way, ask yourself, “Are 

we spending money on maintenance 

or assets?” 

Obviously, keeping track of 

everything at this point is getting 

trickier. 

That is where good bookkeeping 

habits come in, along with 

good relationship with your 

Accountant and the Bank. 

If you have any questions 

about how BNZ can support 

your Non-Profit organisation 

call us on 0800-273916. 

The above article is intended 

as a general discussion only, 

and is based on selective information 

which may not be suitable 

for your purposes. BNZ 

strongly recommends the recipients 

take independent 

legal, investment and financial 

advice prior to making 

any financial or investment 

decisions. 

Cherie Trewavas is BNZ 

Partner based in Wellington. 

The above is her insight into 

Balance Sheets for building the 

financial capabilities of Notfor-Profit 

Organisations. 

BNZ is the Title Sponsor of 

the Indian Newslink Indian 

Business Awards 2016 and 

Indian Newslink Sir Anand 

Satyanand Lecture 2016. 

& 

Present 

Guest Speaker 

Graeme Wheeler 

Governor, Reserve Bank of New Zealand 

A RARE OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED! 

The Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CA ANZ) has recognised this 

Lecture as a part of ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD) for its members. 

The Lecture is also supported by the Institute of Directors Auckland Branch 

and the Auckland Law Society. 

Keeping our financial system safe 

in a changing world 

Monday, July 25, 2016 

Pullman Hotel, Auckland 

Master of Ceremonies 

Professor Sekhar 

Bandyopadhyay 

PhD, FRSNZ 

Head, School of History, 

Philosophy, Political Science and 

International Relations 

Director, New Zealand India 

Research Institute 

Victoria University of Wellington 

Reflections 

Rod Oram 

Business Journalist 

To Register Call (09) 5336377 or 021 836 528 

Email: editor@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Tickets at $150 plus GST (including cocktails from 630 pm to 730 pm and dinner) 

are now available. For details, please email editor@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Sponsors 

Dress Code: Formal, Black Tie for Men, Cocktail Dress for Women


BUSINESSLINK 

17 

BNZAdvantage 

Maximise your 

Double Rewards 

with The Card Pros. 

Get Double Rewards for 6 months online, 

overseas and in supermarkets. 

Apply now at bnz.co.nz/cardpro 

Available only on BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum and Visa Classic credit cards 

opened by 22 August 2016. Lending criteria, terms and fees apply. 

COLENSO1363


18 COMMUNITYLINK 



The next three occurrences 

of Pradosham will be 

on June 18, July 2 and 

July 17, 2016. All Hindu 

Temples will have information 

on this day. 

A number of websites dedicated 

to Hinduism also feature the 

days of Pradosham. 

Pradosham takes place during 

the two phases of the Moon 

(waxing and waning). 

When Pradosham Vratam 

falls on a Saturday, it is known 

as ‘Shani Pradosham’ or ‘Sani 

Pradosham Vratam’. 

According to Hindu Astrology 

and Horoscope, Lord Shani is believed 

to create problems for 

people in life. Hindu scripts say 

that the adverse effects of Lord 

Shani can be minimised by observing 

Vratam and offering 

prayers on Shani Pradosham. 

High Sanctity 

The importance of observing 

Pradosham is described in 

Pradosham ‘Mahatmayam’ from 

Shiva Purana and hence Shiva 

Ramadan denotes social cohesion and spiritual uplift 

Dr Anwar Ghani 

Muslims around the 

world are currently 

experiencing 

the Holy Month of 

Ramadan. 

This is the Ninth month on 

the Islamic lunar calendar during 

which the Holy Book of 

Quran was revealed to Prophet 

Mohammad (Peace Be Upon 

Him) through Angel Gabriel 

(Jibreel). 

Muslims look forward to this 

blessed month and prepare 

themselves to reap maximum 

reward by improving their 

spirituality and good deeds. 

They abstain from actions, 

thoughts or general conduct 

which are forbidden or bad for 

the humanity. 

For followers of Islam, it is a 

time for extra worship and reflection 

on own-self. 

This month is also about improving 

patience with one another, 

expressing kindness 

towards others, perseverance 

in doing good to family, friends, 

neighbours and specially looking 

after the weak and the vulnerable 

in the society. 

Divine Gift 

Ramadan is gift from God to 

The Propitious Day to offer Obeisance to Lord Shiva 

devotees observe ‘Pradosham 

Pooja’ with high sanctity. 

Pradosham indicates the meeting 

of the Sun and the Moon in 

a horizontal line during their 

movement on their Axis. 

Occurring between 430 pm 

and 6 pm on Thrayodashi (13th 

day of the Lunar month), the 

Pradosham time is propitious to 

pray Lord Shiva and invoke His 

blessings. Among all the Poojas 

performed, the ‘Pradosham 

Pooja’ is considered more 

auspicious. 

It is believed that during 

Pradosham, all Gods and universal 

beings come down to Earth 

and attend the worship. 

The Significance 

According to Hindu Puranas, 

the Gods (Devas) and the 

Demons (Asuras) were stirring 

the milky ocean to extract 

‘Amrita’ (Nectar), with 

Vasuki (the Serpent King) as a 

rope. Vasuki, undergoing severe 

scratches due to the churning, 

emitted a powerful poison capable 

of destroying the world. The 

helpless celestials appealed to 

Devout Hindus dedicate ‘Pradosham’ (‘Pradosh,’ ‘Pradosha Vrata’ or 

‘Pradosham Vratam’) to Lord Shiva. 

It occurs twice a month falling on the 13th day of each Lunar fortnight as 

per the traditional Hindu Lunar calendar. 

Pradosham sanctifies Lunar Movement 

The Holy Quran was revealed to the world during the Holy Month of Ramadan 

Muslims in particular and humanity in 

general to focus on positivity, sharing and 

caring within the family and society at 

large. W 

This month has been bestowed to improve 

social cohesion and inclusiveness in 

its purest form. Sharing food and showing 

kindness to others are the basic elements 

of improving social cohesion. Respecting 

others, regardless of their social, political, 

religious and financial status are building 

blocks of social cohesion. 

New Zealander Muslims have done well 

to bond within themselves. However, there 

is potential for improvement through wider 

sharing of the spirit of Ramadan with 

fellow Kiwis. This will in turn lift societal 

understanding about each other. 

In my native country of India, and in 

many other Islamic and secular countries, 

Muslims and non-Muslims promote brotherhood 

during Ramadan by inviting each 

other to break the fast. As the saying goes, 

if you break the bread together you will develop 

greater understanding and appreciation 

about one and other. 

Easy in Winter 

Fasting from dawn to dusk during winter 

months in New Zealand is easy. 

We hardly feel the fasting hours because 

days are short and the temperature is cool. 

Fasting in tropical countries can be highly 

demanding with soaring temperatures 

(more than 45 degrees Celsius during 

Summer months) and days longer days (16- 

18 hours). 

It can be particularly harsh for people 

who have to work in that intense heat to 

Lord Shiva to save them. He swallowed the 

poison but Goddess Parvathi stopped the 

poison in Lord’s throat, which turned blue. 

Lord Shiva is therefore known as ‘Thiru 

Neelakantan’ or ‘Neelakantan’ (the one 

with Blue Throat). 

Lord Shiva swallowed the poison 

on a Saturday and this is called Shani 

Pradosham. 

Shani Pradosham is classified into 

‘Utthama Shani Pradosham,’ ‘Mathima 

Shani Pradosham,’ and ‘Athama Shani 

Pradosham.’ 

Utthama Sani Pradosham occurs during 

the Tamil month of ‘Chittirai’ (April-May), 

‘Vaikasi’ (May-June), ‘Ayppasi’ (October- 

November) and ‘Karthigai’ (November- 

December) during the waxing period. 

‘Mathima Sani Pradosham’ occurs during 

the above Tamil months of during 

waning period of the Moon. 

All other Shani Pradoshams come under 

‘Athama Shani Pradosham.’ 

Maha Pradosham 

‘Maha Pradosham’ is an annual observance 

during February-March (Magha in 

Sanskrit, Kumbha Masam in Malayalam, 

and Maasi in Tamil) before Maha 

Shearwater. 

Pradosham Pooja is conducted regularly 

in all Shiva Temples. 

earn their livelihood while keeping the fast. 

There are many who fast every day because 

they don’t have much to eat due to 

poverty, war, climatic disasters or other 

calamities. 

The Holy Month has been prescribed for 

every able adult Muslim to experience hunger 

and think of social cohesion not only at 

a local or national level but also on a global 

level about all human beings. 

Allah’s Order 

Ramadan has been declared sacred in the 

Holy Quran wherein Allah says: 

“O, you who believe, fasting is prescribed 

on you as it was prescribed to those before 

you so that you may become pious.” (Chapter 

2, Verse 183). 

“The prescribed fasting is for a fixed number 

of days, but who so among you if sick or 

on a journey, shall fast the same number of 

other days; and for those who are able to fast 

only with great difficulty, is expiation - the 

feeding of a poor man. And who so does well 

of his own accord it is better for him. And 

fasting is good for you, if you only knew”. 

(Quran: Chapter 2, Verse 185). 

May Allah Almighty accept our fasts and all 

the good deeds. May He bless New Zealand 

with peace and prosperity and help in creating 

a most cohesive society living in harmony 

with each other. 

Dr Anwar Ghani is a thought leader on 

strengthening communities. Since 2010 he 

has been listed in the List of Top 500 Most 

Influential Muslim Leaders of the world. 

He is the Immediate Past President of the 

Federation of Islamic Associations of New 

Zealand (FIANZ). 

He will write a regular Column in Indian 

Newslink.


COMMUNITYLINK 

19 

Yoga is a state of mind, not a fashion statement 

Knowledge before International Yoga Day on June 21 

Acharya Ajay Tiwari 

Controlling the unsettled 

mind, purification 

of language and medicine, 

I bow to Maharishi 

Patañjali, the sage who wrote 

the Yoga. 

When one mentions the word 

‘Yoga’, the response is instant. 

For, since it was introduced 

to the West by Bikram Iyengar 

more than 50 years ago, it has 

transformed people’s bodies, 

lifestyles and even their mental 

health. 

But with the immense popularity 

of Yoga also comes its 

commercialisation, and over 

time, the spiritual significance 

of this ancient Indian form of 

exercise by its practitioners is 

seldom known. 

As June 21 marks 

International Yoga Day, readers 

of Indian Newslink who wish to 

introduce Yoga into their lives 

should be aware of certain principles 

before undertaking its 

practice. 

Five causes 

In this materialistic world, 

there are five causes for suffering 

(known as ‘Kleśa’) 

that is said to affect people. 

They are Avidyā, (Ignorance), 

Asmitā, (Ego or Pride), Rāga 

(Attachment), Dvesa (Malice) 

and Abhiniveśa (Fear of death). 

Understanding the meaning 

and context behind each 

of these terms is essential for 

a true Yoga practitioner as the 

cause and effect of suffering can 

be reduced in one’s daily life 

and activities. 

Avidyā (Ignorance): Most 

of life’s problems are due to 

lack of understanding. Lord 

Shankaracharya said “Avidyā 

kleśa jananī” – “Ignorance is the 

mother of sorrows and persecution.” 

We get harassed by our 

own persistence and insecurity, 

and then blame others due 

to misunderstandings within 

ourselves. 

Asmitā (Ego or Pride): All beings 

born in this world are 

known to possess some kind 

of pride. Some people may be 

proud of their wealth, knowledge, 

beauty, name or fame. 

Animals too have pride for what 

they are gifted with. Examples 

such as Peacocks and their 

feathers, Dogs and their sense 

of smell, Bulls and their physical 

force, and Snakes and their 

poisonous venom. Turning to 

the great epics of Hindu mythology, 

one can understand 

the degree of ego in divine beings, 

such as the Battle between 

Sri Ram and the demon king 

Ravana in Ramayana and the 

Battle between the Pandavas 

and Kauravas in Mahabharata. 

Rāga (Attachment): The popular 

saying, “All is fair in love 

and war” calls for some debate 

as most of us know what 

damage can happen when one 

is deeply attached, resulting 

in mental instability and anger. 

Examples include when 

King Dasharath had to let go of 

his sons, Ram and Lakshman 

when Sage Vishwamitra asked 

for their protection during his 

‘Yagna’ ritual, King Dasharath’s 

death after his beloved Ram had 

to leave for his 14 year-exile in 

the forest, and in Mahabharata, 

Arjun’s initial refusal to fight 

against his elders which led to 

Lord Krishna’s reveal of the 

Bhagwat Gita to him. 

Dveṣa (Malice): In addition to 

people being unhappy due to 

problems in their lives, many 

are also unhappy due to seeing 

others who seem happier than 

them. Malice can be called competition 

in modern terms but according 

to Adi Shankaracharya, 

happiness is being content with 

what one already has and not 

being involved in competition 

with someone for materialistic 

items. 

Abhiniveśa (Fear of death): 

Throughout history, people have 

tried various methods in order 

to achieve immortality. Many 

have prayed and performed immense 

penance but some people 

forget that Lord Ram and Lord 

Krishna (incarnations of Lord 

Vishnu) were mortal beings 

themselves and had to die after 

completion of their respective 

duties on earth. Powerful demons 

such as Hiranyakashipu, 

Ravana and Kamsa, no matter 

how learned or brave they 

were, could not escape from the 

reality of dying one day, hence 

their only weakness was fear of 

death. 

All of us will eventually die 

one day, but we can revert our 

fear of death by aligning our 

lives and principles to that of 

Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and 

Lord Buddha. It is only our 

physical body that deteriorates 

but never our soul. 

Types of existence 

According to Acharya 

Shankara’s philosophy, there 

are three kinds of existence: 

Prātibhāsika, Vyavahārika and 

Pāramārthika. Prātibhāsika 

means illusion, Vyavahārika is 

physical existence for a temporary 

time and Pāramārthika is 

the ultimate truth which can be 

described as God. 

Since many of us are unaware 

of Pāramārthika, this becomes 

the root cause of our disorganised 

minds (citta vrtti). The 

waves of our unsettled minds 

prompt us to set new goals for 

ourselves every day. 

As we constantly run to 

achieve our goals throughout 

our lives and yet never completely 

achieve them, we are 

driven more towards citta vrtti. 

It was for this reason that 

Maharishi Patañjali wrote the 

treatise “Yoga Sutra” 1200 years 

BC (Bikram Samvat) in order to 

save us from being drowned by 

the ocean of citta vrtti. 

Mind control 

Maharishi Patañjali says, 

“Yoga is control over citta vrtti 

(unsettled mind). This definition 

of Yoga is also supported 

by Lord Krishna in the Bhagwat 

Gita. He says: “Arjun, perform 

your duties established in Yoga, 

renouncing attachment and be 

even-minded in success and failure. 

Balance of mind is called 

Yoga.” 

Endowed with equanimity, 

Lord Krishna preaches Yoga to Arjun 

one sheds in this life both good and evil. 

Therefore, strive for the practice of this 

Yoga of equanimity. Skill in action lies in 

the practice of this Yoga. 

When your intellect, confused by 

hearing conflicting statements, will rest 

steady and undistracted in meditation/ 

on God, you will then attain Yoga, that is 

everlasting union with God. 

Eight limbs of Yoga 

According to the Yoga sutra, there 

are eight limbs of Yoga: Yama, Niyama, 

Āsana, Prānāyām, Pratyāhāra, Dhāranā, 

Dhyāna and Samādhi. 

Those who wish to practice Yoga regularly 

must eliminate the concept of gender, 

as the soul is genderless. 

The acts of non-killing, non-injuring 

others and non-stealing are to be practiced 

by every Yogi. Internal and external 

purification must also be obtained. 

Fifteen excuses and just five minutes of 

practice is not the right discipline of becoming 

a Yogi. Nowadays, many people 

associate Yoga with the beautification of 

the body but as described above, this is 

far from the ultimate truth 

Acharya Ajay Tiwari is a Priest and 

Preacher. He is associated with Sanskrit 

Yoga & Jyotish Trust and can be contacted 

on (09) 2679980 or 021-0347956. 

Email: acharyatiwari@gmail.com



Smart witch doctor vanishes with smartphones 

My name is Mariam (not my real name) and I am 

victim of a fake astrologer and witch doctor who 

exploited my vulnerability and spun stories of black 

magic. By the time I realised that he was a con, I was 

left with no money or emotions and he had left New 

Zealand. I am from India; I love my homeland and my 

people. I realise that con men exist in every country 

and society. I am thankful to Pratima Nand, a great 

social worker who introduced me to Indian Newslink, 

encouraged me to write my story so that people 

become aware of fraudulent people who cheat people 

in the name of astrology. 

Fourth of many parts 

It was a disparate woman’s call to nobody 

The witch doctor told 

me over the telephone, 

“Your enemies are sending 

negative energy to 

your husband to incite hatred 

towards you; he can even kill 

you!” 

“Do not waste any more time. 

Meet me at once and bring all 

your jewellery!” 

He appeared very sad as I visited 

him. “Sister, your enemies 

have found out that I am helping 

you. They have sent evil 

forces to attack me. I am therefore 

unwell; I am also weak because 

I have been fasting and 

praying for you,” he said. 

He said he had to commence 

praying in front of the Statue 

immediately. 

A few minutes later, he said 

that one Statue was not enough 

and that he had to purchase another 

one to ‘ward off the evil elements’ 

and asked me for more 

money. 

“I am sorry, I do not have any 

money to give you now,” I said. 

With his usual sadistic cheeky 

grin and smile he continued, 

“In that case, Sister, you will 

have to go with Lalitha (his 

wife) and withdraw all the money 

you have in your bank accounts. 

How much money do 

you have?” 

Mobile Phones Plan 

I told him that I have Rs 

200,000 (about $4300) in my 

Indian bank account and $2000 

in a New Zealand bank account. 

His face brightened. He said, 

“Why are you worried, Sister? 

Let us not waste any more time. 

We will purchase two mobile 

phones with top-up plans for 

one my followers.” 

I was confused but agreed to 

his suggestion. 

He and his wife were repeatedly 

forcing me to have coffee; 

they themselves restrained saying 

that they were fasting. I did 

not realise then that I was being 

drugged. 

We went to a mobile shop 

where the application was rejected. 

He pointed towards a 

woman and whispered, “Sister, 

that was a demonic spirit stopping 

us from buying the phones. 

We then went to another shop 

where, after several questions, 

our application got accepted. 

While we were sitting there, 

there was a man listening to our 

conversation. 

The witch doctor said, “That 

is the devil.” He purchased two 

mobile phones with two-year 

top-up plans and asked for a 

Snap Chat Camera and took pictures 

of us. He then took me to 

my bank and asked me withdraw 

money from my account. 

Then he asked me to buy him 

and his wife some gifts from the 

shopping mall. 

I complied. 

After returning to his office, 

he began elaborate preparations 

for his prayer. 

The Pandora’s Box 

First he put some rice and 

sprinkled turmeric powder over 

it. Then he placed the metallic 

Statue that he had showed me 

before. After that he put all the 

metallic things that he had given 

to me as protection. He then 

counted $5000 of my money. 

He opened a box and said, 

“Everything will now become 

invisible until such time as I tell 

you. It will be light to carry.” 

He asked me to pray God and invoke 

the blessings of my father. 

He then wrapped up the box 

with the poster of the Khabba in 

Mecca. 

Just then an Indian woman 

walked in without permission. 

He drove her away quickly and 

screamed at his wife. “Lalitha, 

my sister’s life is in danger. 

Don’t you know that was an 

evil spirit trying to stop the 

prayers?” 

I was feeling dizzy by now. 

The witch doctor pointed to 

two patches in my hand bag 

and said that he had to recite 

prayers since the bag has been 

infested by evil power. He asked 

me to out for a walk with his 

wife. 

When we returned, he asked 

me to leave my wedding albums 

and wedding dresses.Handing 

over some stuff (which I cannot 

remember), he asked me to 

throw it in the river. He warned 

that evil spirits may try to stop 

me. 

After returning home, I sent 

him a text, saying, “Brother, I 

reached home safely. I want to 

thank you and Lalitha for your 

love and support. Hope to see 

you soon.” Immediately after 

that he disconnected the two 

mobile phones. 

Witch doctor tricks 

Four days later, Lalitha called. 

She cried and said, “Sister, 

when we were praying for 

you, Guru Ji (her husband) got 

a shock and collapsed on the 

floor. He is unable to speak. We 

are in some unknown hospital. 

I had to call the Police and 

Ambulance to take us there. You 

don’t worry sister. Please take 

care of yourself. Grandfather 

said that your life is in danger 

now. God is with us. Until Guru 

JI gets well, please do not touch 

the bag or else the spirits will 

attack you.” 

I received several text messages 

from her after that saying” Hi 

Sister, how are you?” 

I would reply her messages 

with “I am fine Lalitha, how is 

brother?” 

She would not say anything 

about him. 

Her messages continued until 

the end of July. 

I was in shock and could not 

talk about it to anyone not even 

a friend. Now I realise that this 

was the crafty witch doctor's 

way of buying time so that 

I should not take any action 

against him. 

Next Issue: Some more reflections 

and revelations 

CALLING FOR ENTRIES 

& NOMINATIONS 

Indian 

Newslink 

Indian Business 

Awards 

DEFINITION OF SUCCESS 

CATEGORIES: 

1. Business Excellence in Retail Trade 

2. Business Excellence in Innovation 

3. Business Excellence in Marketing 

4. Business Excellence in Customer Service 

5. Best Employer of Choice (New) 

6. Best Small Business 

7. Best Medium Sized Business 

8. Best Large Business 

9. Business Excellence in International 

trade with India* 

10. Best Accountant of the Year 

11. Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year 

12. Best Businesswoman of the Year 

13. Best Financial Advisor (Mortgage) of the Year 

14. Best Financial Advisor (Insurance) of the Year 

Supreme Business of the Year Award (All entries will be entered for this category) 

* this category is open to all businesses registered in New Zealand, importing or exporting a product or service from 

and to India or engaged in enrolling international students from India 

To the Ninth Annual Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards 2016 For the first time 

since the launch of the Awards in 2008, companies and individuals can nominate any 

company or individual carrying on as registered businesses in New Zealand. 

Nomination forms are incorporated in the entry process this year. 

Enter up to any three of the above first nine categories. Entries to all the categories 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 Thursday, August 31, 2016 to iba2016@ignitionpartner.com 

Winners will be presented with their Awards at a Gala Black Tie Dinner on 

Monday, November 28, 2016 at Sky City Convention Centre, Auckland City, details of 

which will be announced later. 

Conditions of Entry: 

Entries and Nominations 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: 

a) Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 4 pm: BNZ Partners, Level 1, 86 Highbrook Drive, East Tamaki 

b) Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at 4 pm: BNZ Partners, Level 1, 86 Highbrook Drive, East Tamaki 

c) Thursday, July 7, 2016 at 4 pm: Level 8, Deloitte Centre, Level 8, 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 82338 Highland Park, Manukau 2143 

Phone (09) 5336377 • info@indiannewslink.co.nz 

www.indiannewslink.co.nz • www.inliba.com


Hindus prominent among 

ill-tempered 

A Report on Gandhi Nivas in South Auckland 

Third of many Parts 

COMMUNITYLINK 

21 

Mandy Morgan and 

Leigh Coombes 

While Gandhi Nivas 

is providing early 

intervention services 

for clients from 

diverse ethnic groups within the 

community, it is evident that the 

groups for which the services 

were initially established, South 

Asian and Fijian Indian men, 

account for a majority of clients 

(51%). 

The provision of culturally 

specific services for all men in 

the community fits closely with 

best practice for community 

based intervention services, 

and the extent of networks 

accessible for referral including 

and beyond Sahaayta will be investigated 

further in subsequent 

research projects. 

Religious affiliation 

Data on client religious affiliation 

was provided for all 103 

clients; yet more than a quarter 

(26.3%) indicated that the client 

had no religious affiliation or 

that religious affiliation was ‘not 

applicable.’ 

Two clients did not disclose 

their religion. 

In some cases, specific denominations 

of Christian Churches 

were specified (e.g. Catholic, 

Methodist), but in others the 

broader term ‘Christian’ was 

used. 

We have included all Christian 

denominations within the 

broader category to ensure 

client confidentiality is protected 

in cases where denominations 

are unusual or unique. We 

have also combined two unique 

religious affiliations into the 

category ‘other’, also to protect 

client confidentiality. 

Hindu majority 

As with ethnic diversity 

among clients, religious 

affiliations are diverse, though 

concentrated in Hinduism and 

Christianity. 

Over one third of clients identify 

their religious affiliation as 

Hindu (36%), with Christianity 

comprising the second largest 

religious category (18.6%). 

Religious belief, values and 

spiritual practices have not been 

extensively studied in relation 

to family violence, but a recent 

publication on religion and 

male violence towards women 

suggests a complex relationship 

that requires careful cultural 

sensitivity and understanding of 

clients’ religious affiliations to 

effectively deliver interventions 

and services to them. 

Religious and spiritual life 

have significance in relation to 

the meaningfulness of clients’ 

lives and thus potential for 

enhancing the wellbeing of 

both clients and their families 

in promoting change towards 

non-violence. 

How the culturally specific 

services offered by Gandhi 

Nivas and Sahaayta engage and 

enhance the contribution of 

religious affiliation and spiritual 

life towards wellbeing and 

non-violence will be investigated 

in subsequent research projects. 

Language Data 

Language data was provided 

for all 103 clients. The majority 

of clients (68.9%) spoke more 

than one language and fewer 

than one third (27.2%) spoke 

only English. Nearly 15% spoke 

more than two languages. 

Eighteen languages were 

spoken among the 103 clients. 

Of these, English is the most 

commonly spoken language 

(94.2%), with Hindi the second 

most common (44.7%). Punjabi, 

Chinese, Fijian, Te Reo Māori, 

What would you do with $10,000 Advertising Giveaway? 

• Humm FM is celebrating five years On-Air this 

year, and as a way to celebrate and expressing 

its gratitude to the community, the broadcaster 

is giving away $10,000. 

• There are no restrictions. Any business, from sole 

proprietorship to a large corporate, can enter. 

You can also nominate a business. 

• Would you work on getting in more business, 

buying in more customers, take the opportunity 

to increase income, take a holiday resulting from 

increased turnover, get and utilise free time with 

your family or just take off for a few days to a 

tropical Island? 

• Entering is easy. Just submit your nomination 

by answering a few easy queries online www. 

hummfm.com/giveaway or call (09) 8497000. 

Samoan, Arabic and Gujarati are 

spoken by more than one client. 

Nine unique languages are 

spoken by individual clients. 

These languages are not 

named in the analysis to protect 

the confidentiality of clients. 

The language data provides 

clear evidence of the competence 

of many clients in multiple 

languages, with 94.2% of clients 

listing English as one of the 

languages they speak. However, 

this overwhelming majority 

should not imply that translation 

services are unimportant. 

Among the clients, 5.8% do not 

speak English. 

Of the bilingual and multilingual 

speakers who include 

English in the languages they 

speak, almost 70% did not list 

English as their first language 

and fluency in English cannot be 

assessed from the data available 

to us. Information provided by 

key informants from Gandhi 

Nivas suggests that translation 

services are needed for the 

services delivered to clients and 

for their engagement with the 

legal system when required. 

(To be continued) 

Editor’s Note: Gandhi Nivas is 

an initiative to ‘complete’ the 

approach to minimise, if possible 

eliminate totally, family 

violence among South Asian 

families. The following report, 

commissioned by Massey University 

looks at the concept, 

practice and challenges that 

face the collective effort in 

South Auckland. The following 

report, with minor modifications 

to suit our readership 

will appear as a serial in 

Indian Newslink. In this third 

part, the authors provide a 

background to family violence 

in New Zealand. 

• You can also simply tune into Humm 106.2 FM 

and find out. 

• Humm FM started as a 24-hour Music Station in 

2011. Today it provides round-the- clock news in 

English, community notices and Bollywood at 

its hottest and funniest, providing a link for the 

community to engage and gather round. 

• Its contemporary and hot programming has 

won hearts in Auckland, across New Zealand, 

Australia and other parts of the world. Some 

tune in from as far away as Dubai, India and 

Canada. 

• The Station today caters to the young urban 

population of the Indian Diaspora of diverse 

origins, including India, Fiji, Australia and South 

Africa. 

Clients by Religion 

Religion Clients Percentage 

Christian 19 18.40 

Hindu 37 36.00 

Sikh 9 8.70 

Muslim 7 6.80 

Other 2 1.90 

Undisclosed 2 1.90 

N/A 27 26.30 

Clients by Spoken Language 

Language Number Percentage 

English 97 94.2 

Hindi 46 44.7 

Punjabi 11 10.7 

Chinese 6 5.8 

Fijian 5 4.8 

Te Reo Maori 5 4.8 

Samoan 4 3.9 

Arabic 2 1.9 

Gujarati 2 1.9 

Other 9 8.7 

Book sheds light on 

Theravada Buddhism 



A 

new Book that describes the 

trials and tribulations of Sri 

Lankans in practicing their 

religion in New Zealand is 

being launched in Auckland on June 

18, 2016. 

Called, “Establishment and 

Expansion of Theravada Buddhism 

in New Zealand,” the Book will be 

released at a ceremony scheduled to 

begin at 4 pm at the Auckland Centre 

for Buddhist Studies, 43, Fairfax 

Avenue, Penrose. Buddhists observe 

June 18 as ‘Poson Poya Day,’ the day 

of Full Moon (Poya) in Poson (June) 

on which Arahat Mahinda, the son 

of Ashoka the Great, introduced 

Buddhism to Sri Lanka during the 

3rd Century BC. 

Written by Sam Nambukara 

Gamage, the book provides valuable 

information about Theravada 

Buddhism in New Zealand. 

The evolution 

In the beginning, Sri Lankans 

invited Buddhist monks from 

their home country, provided 

accommodation at their residences 

and requested them to perform 

religious services. Later Sri Lankan 

Buddhists purchased houses and 

established Temples in various parts 

of New Zealand. 

This was a very tedious process and 

very difficult task. 

The author has chronicled the 

incidents and also mentions about 

the various disagreements that have 

arisen between Buddhist monks and 

devotees as well as between groups of 

devotees. 

Elders’ doctrine 

Theravada is the ‘Doctrine of Elders,’ 

subscribing to the school of Buddhism 

that draws its scriptural inspiration 

from the ‘Tipitaka,’ or ‘Pali Canon,’ 

containing the earliest surviving 

record of the Buddha’s teachings. 

For many centuries, Theravada 

has been the predominant religion of 

Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos 

and Sri Lanka. 

More than 100 million follow 

this School today and Theravada is 

beginning to spread its teachings in 

the Western world.



At 21, the message gets stronger and louder 

Venkat Raman 


Twenty-One has significance 

on several counts. 

The Bible calls it ‘A 

Number of Perfection,’ 

that it is a Number of Excellence 

3 x 7. 

In some cultures, it is considered 

to be one of self-respect, 

self-esteem and self-confidence, 

all of which symbolise positive 

qualities. 

Twenty-One is also a symbol 

representing the unknown superiors 

or the great spiritual 

Masters of the humanity. 

That is the power of 

popularity. 

Like Robert Khan of Radio 

Tarana, the Radio Station which 

completes 21 years of its establishment 

and broadcasting today 

(June 15, 2016). 

French psychoanalyst Rene 

Allendy said, “Number Twenty- 

One denotes the Principle of 

Individuality, placed between 

the world of the spirit and matter, 

realises in itself the meeting 

of both.” 

Outstanding Winner 

As we reported in our June 1, 

2016 issue, he was the Winner 

for Outstanding Contribution 

to Radio at the Annual Radio 

New Zealand Awards on May 

20, 2016. 

The Awards Ceremony, held, 

at the Auckland War Memorial 

Robert Khan at the Radio New Zealand Awards on May 20, 2016 

Museum recognised him 

for ‘his exceptional contribution 

to Radio in New 

Zealand.’ 

Tarana has indubitably 

become the most 

popular Indian Radio station 

in New Zealand. Its 

programmes can be accessed 

through the internet 

or mobile anywhere 

in the world at any time. 

People from New Zealand 

and other countries call 

over the phone or the internet to participate 

in the current affairs programme, 

question leaders, request for 

their favourite film song, greet people 

on birthdays, wedding anniversaries 

and get to know of people who 

leave us. This is a wholesome station 

that combines the seriousness of the 

newsroom and the friendliness of the 

studio to offer a bouquet of services 

that have become the fragrance of the 

Indian radio listeners. 

Unheard of Competition 

Competition is the most important 

aspect of consumption, because it 

provides consumers with choice and 

enables them to exercise that choice 

to demand the best from those offering 

products and services. It encourages 

companies to innovate, diversify, 

improve the quality of products and 

services and offer them at affordable 

prices. A market with healthy business 

practices emerges for the benefit 

of everyone in the community and 

the country. 

The Captain 

The Tarana team is made up of people 

with varying talent, approach to 

life, vicissitudes and a thousand other 

things that constitute a family. Among 

them are specialists in local and international 

politics, current affairs, 

community issues, music, production, 

sales, scheduling and accounts; 

there are a few who are adept in all 

of these. Harnessing these resources 

to the benefit of all is a task at which 

Managing Director Robert Khan is 

a master. How he fosters the family 

spirit and leads the team to deliver 

the best is in itself a story but as it is 

often said, ‘everything fits into place 

if you have a clear vision and know 

what to do.’ 

The entertainment market of the 

1990s was dominated by a single operator 

and breaking the monopoly 

was a formidable task. 

And when he did, Mr Khan knew he 

could get on to a higher media plane. 

The thought of a radio station, dedicated 

to longer hours was with him 

for a while but he awaited the appropriate 

moment. 

But it was not until the early days of 

1996 when opportunity knocked. 

Following the official procedures, 

purchase of equipment (‘they were 

rather expensive’) and placement of 

experienced staff, Radio Tarana took 

to the air on June 15 that year. 

The vision 

“The vision from the beginning 

was to go 24/7 but a number of loose 

ends had to be tied up. Staffing was 

the most significant challenge and I 

knew Radio Tarana would not have 

the wherewithal to be a sleepless station 

until all issues were addressed. 

Even as we went about organising 

ourselves towards that objective, 

we were aware such an eventuality 

would not come about overnight,” Mr 

Khan said. 

It took eight years but the march 

towards the goal was gradual, with 

every step taken firmly on the 

ground. 

Today, Radio Tarana is a growing 

entity but an icon in Indian 

broadcasting.


COMMUNITYLINK 

Human qualities bring forth an outstanding winner 

Venkat Raman 


Surprise, admiration, pride, 

joy and gratification were 

among the sentiments expressed 

by members of 

the Radio Tarana team when we 

asked to describe their take on 

Robert Khan, their Managing 

Director. 

We asked them to be forthright, 

promising that no one, including 

their boss, would have 

a privy to their opinions until 

this page makes it to the eyes 

of the people. Robert Khan was 

honoured for his ‘Outstanding 

Contribution to Radio’ at the 

Radio New Zealand Awards ceremony 

held at the Auckland 

Museum on May 20, 2016, in the 

presence of the country’s popular 

broadcasters. 

Media Works Radio Chief 

Executive Wendy Palmer presented 

the Awards and the programme 

was hosted by Jono of 

the popular TV Ben and Jono. 

Worthy of recognition 

The Award recognised Mr 

Khan’s outstanding contribution 

to radio in New Zealand. 

Among the others honoured at 

the event were the late Sir Paul 

Holmes, Leighton Smith, Murray 

Deaker, Kim Hill, Brent Impey 

and Sussan Turner. 

We carried his reaction in our 

June 1, 2016 issue. 

Ronny Kumaran 

23 

Magan Dahya 

Satend Sharma 

Pawan Rekha Prasad 

Sanjesh Narayan 

Sales and Marketing 

Representative Magan Daya 

said that apart from being very 

active, Mr Khan remains polite 

even when he confronts a 

person. 

“He is friendly and addresses 

most people by their first name. 

I was very excited to see Robert 

recognised and honoured. It 

was typical of him to attribute 

his success to his team. I am 

proud to be associated with him 

and his team at Radio Tarana,” 

he said. 

The hero of ‘Tarana Drive,’ 

Satend Sharma keeps 

Aucklanders entertained and 

informed as they crawl through 

the worsening traffic bottleneck. 

He has been a radio presenter 

since he was 18 years old 

(we do not know the year) and 

therefore understands the sentiment 

of Mr Khan who was 

surprised when his name was 

announced at the Awards. 

“I don’t think that he was expecting 

it. In fact, he was there 

to support the members of the 

‘Sunday at 5’ team who had 

been nominated for an Award. 

This Award that he received 

gave Team Tarana a reason to 

celebrate at the Shooters Bar 

next to our studio in Kingsland,” 

Satend said. 

veteran of radio broadcasting, 

Pawan is the sen- 

A 

ior-most member of the Radio 

Tarana team, having joined the 

station in 2001. 

She said that she owed her 

leadership skills to Mr Khan. 

“He is a leader who believes 

in walking together and guide 

rather than walking ahead and 

leave people behind. If he trusts 

a person, he places complete 

faith in that person – a rare 

quality in human beings. He 

will never advice you a shortcut 

and dodgy path but would rather 

recommend a longer but honest 

way,” she said. 

Pawan said that watching Mr 

Khan receive the Award was the 

proudest moment in her life. 

IN THE BEGINNING, EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME. 

STAND OUT FROMTHE REST. 

GET OFF TO ABRILLIANT START, LIKE NEWLIFE. 

YOUNEED RECOGNITION, 

ADISTINCT POSITION IN THE MARKETPLACE. 

IndianNewslink Fastfind BusinessDirectory 2016-2017.The all-new,13th Edition 

An exciting opportunity toconnect your business tothe world 

It is fast, itisreliable and it is cost-effective 

Printed inQuarter fold Size (260cms Height X200cms Width) 

for elegance and convenience 

Just last week, I had an opportunity 

to really get to know 

Sanjesh Narayan as we travelled 

to Fiji along with Prime 

Minister John Key. He was greeted 

by Fiji’s Prime Minister 

Frank Bainimarama, other ministers 

and top officials in Suva 

with warmth and joy. Sanjesh 

seemed to be the man on the 

spot. There is another, rather 

unspoken, candid side to another 

quiet reporter. He was quick 

to respond when asked to describe 

Robert Khan. 

“He can be compared to 

Superman- a man of principles, 

very genuine and kind-hearted 

person. I started working for 

him in 2006 and over the years, 

I have understood very little 

about him, due to his very complicated 

nature. He is however 

very modest and makes you feel 

that you are part of his family,” 

he said. 

Another ardent admirer 

of Robert Khan is Ronny 

Kumaran. 

“Robert values every member 

of the Tarana team and 

he is always available for any 

support we may need. He is 

a professional employer with 

outstanding knowledge of the 

broadcasting industry,” he said. 

Ronny was not present at the 

Awards ceremony but was filled 

with joy when he saw on television 

Robert being honoured. 

“I felt very proud of being associated 

with the winning team. 

That moment gave us another 

reason to believe that Tarana is 

the brand that makes the difference 

in the community,” Ronny 

said. 

Mehak Vashist 

obert Khan is a Managing 

“RDirector in the true 

sense,” says Mehak Vashist, who 

is known to tens of thousands of 

Radio Tarana listeners as a lively 

reporter, vigorous narrator 

and interrogator of ‘Sunday @5’ 

programme. 

“I was present at the ceremony 

when he received the Award. 

Robert’s speech was humble 

and reflected what Tarana 

stands for - a radio station 

deep-rooted to its people and 

committed to serve ethnic community. 

I feel proud to be associated 

with Tarana. This is not a 

workplace; it is my home!” 

Shalen Shandil 

YOUR ONLYENTRYTOBUSINESS SUCCESS 

Advertising Rates 

DisplayAdvertisements Only 

Full Page NZ$ 500 plus GST (24 cms Height X17.5cms Width) 

Half Page NZ$ 350 plus GST (12 cms Height X17.5cms Width) 

Displayand Listing Combo 

Full Page +One Listing NZ$ 625 plus GST 

Half Page +One Listing NZ$ 475 plus GST 

Additional Listing at specified rate 

Listing Only: NZ$ 150 plus GST per listing 

(Listing includes logo, name of company, Physical and 

Postal Addresses, Telephone, Fax and uptotwo Mobile 

Numbers, Two Key persons and general information 

about the company in 50 words) 

FASTFIND 

BUSINESS 

DIRECTORY 

2016-2017 

Be in it! 

Level 1,Number 166, Harris Road, East Tamaki, Auckland 2013 

POBox 82338 Highland Park, Auckland 2143 Phone: (09) 5336377; (09) 3910203 

Email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Websites: www.indiannewslink.co.nz; www.inliba.com; www.inlisa.com 

Forbookings, please call (09) 5336377;(09) 3910203; Email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Joining Radio Tarana three 

years ago, Shalen Shandil 

graduated to become an integral 

part of ‘Sunday @5’ along with 

Sanjesh Narayan and Mehak 

Vashist. 

“Robert knows the market. He 

has long been a strong force behind 

talent in the New Zealand 

radio industry. He is fully engaged 

and works well with the 

local community. I was at the 

Radio Awards and everyone 

knew Radio Tarana,” he said.



Model of the Fortnight 

Self-Challenge begets 

self-confidence and success 

Stand by your belief, fight 

for it and make it happen 

in the way that only you 

can, to achieve success in 

life says Melanie Ramsden, our 

Model of the Fortnight. 

She has a number of attributes 

to her credit, although it would 

be hard to say which brings out 

the best in her. 

Melanie has been a success not 

only in show business but also in 

other vocations and the fact that 

she owns two properties should 

testify her tenacity and hard 

work. 

“Each of us has something incredible 

and unique to offer and 

allowing yourself to be authentically 

you is what will bring inner 

peace and confidence,” she said. 

Vivacious Personality 

New Zealanders know her as a 

vivacious model appearing on 

television channels and films 

and as the winner ‘Miss Congeniality,’ 

and participants in Miss 

Indianz (and Indian Newslink 

readers) would identify her as 

the co-host of the event (along 

with Hemant Parikh) last year. 

Melanie believes that the rich 

experience that she has earned 

has enabled her to inspire confidence 

in other aspiring models. 

She hopes to complete her 

MBA in course of time, and 

achieve yet another milestone in 

her life and career. 

“It is important to constantly 

challenge ourselves and continue 

to learn new things, both 

in technical and soft skills and 

probably more importantly 

about ourselves. I am not one 

to sit still for long, I like to be 

doing things, whether it be a 

trip to the mall, a visit with 

friends, figure skating or ballet 

barre,” she said. 

Animal lover 

Apart from music, Melanie 

loves animals and helps a 

number of charities to ferry 

animals to their new fos- ter 

homes and accepts late-night 

missions to pick up abused, 

abandoned and lost animals. 

“I make sure that they are sent 

to homes where they are safe 

and loved,” she said. 

-Venkat Raman 

Pictures by Bhikhu Bhula 

For more pictures of Melanie Ramsden, please visit www.indiannewslink.co.nz. For photo shoot, please contact Bhikhu Bhula on 

(04) 3887861 or 021-0616030. Email: bqbhula@hotmail.com You can also follow him on Facebook (Bhikhu Bhula) 

TRAVEL 

WE HAVE ARRIVED 

Your TRAVEL DEALS BEGIN NOW 

Let Our Journey begin together 

Get the Best 

• Best Airfares 

• Best Service 

• Air Ticketing • Leisure Travel 

Call Now 0508 - 411111 for Relianz Travel & 

A 

• BEST • 

I R 

R 

F A 

S 

E 

* T&C apply


COMMUNITYLINK 25 

Grass on the home side is greener after all! 

If you think New Zealand is the best, think again 

Myan Subrayan 

So, you have had enough 

of South Africa? 

The Rand taking a dive, 

crime and corruption on 

the increase, and load shedding 

has caused you to head to that 

emigration seminar in search of 

Utopia of greener pastures they 

are promising overseas. 

Before you make the important 

decision to emigrate, take a 

few moments to read on. 

month-old daughter in 2000. 

We relocated to South Africa 

in 2012 with our four children. 

We did enjoy staying in New 

Zealand, even receiving its 

citizenship. 

Relocating to homeland 

However, as our children 

got older, we realised that we 

wanted to also give them the 

opportunity to grow up in the 

land of our birth, with our 

extended family and to share 

in the values and culture with 

which we were raised. 

I admit that we have 

problems in South Africa, but 

is there a country that does 

not have problems? Even 

fully-developed countries have 

their fair share. 

The first time my house got 

broken into was in New Zealand 

in 2004 and during the same 

year, I had my wallet and cell 

phone stolen from my office. 

My teenage female cousins 

were viciously assaulted and 

mugged at a mall parking lot in 

Auckland. 

Almost every year, there are 

tragic incidences of violent 

crime as well. Recently, some 

Dutch tourists were raped as 

they travelled the New Zealand 

country side. 

Violent crime is on the 

increase so don’t believe that 

crime is restricted to only South 

Africa, as its present all over 

the world and especially in the 

countries that we South Africans 

tend to emigrate, including 

Australia, Britain, New Zealand 

and USA. 

Silent Media 

The media in these countries 

do not report much on these as 

it has an adverse effect on their 

tourism and immigration, required 

to keep their economies 

ticking over. 

I write this on the backdrop to 

so many fellow South Africans 

being duped by governments 

of these countries, emigration 

agencies that paint a rosy life 

in these countries, but are not 

totally honest. 

From my experience, I would 

like to present the other side 

to emigrating that you will not 

hear from agents (who are 

expensive), to enable you to 

make an informed choice. 

If you do not have a job offer 

before you decide to emigrate, 

then my advice is to wait. 

Do not believe the agent who 

says, “It is easy.” 

Migrants generally have huge 

problems finding work in their 

specific fields. 

Since your South African 

Auckland and Johannesburg: What is the difference 

qualification is often not recognised, 

you will be required to 

undertake further studies to get 

your accreditation to be eligible 

for a work visa. 

Persistent Xenophobia 

This also means incurring 

more costs. And don’t think that 

there is no xenophobia, racism, 

bigotry and discrimination. I, 

my family and friends have experienced 

this first hand. Even 

being told by certain employers 

that if we did not ‘toe the line,’ 

we would be fired, resulting in 

our work visa being terminated 

and subsequently being sent 

back to South Africa. 

Certain migrant groups are 

bullied by the locals and often 

are seen as ‘soft targets’ and 

become victims of crime. 

Mental disorder 

These countries have a high 

depression and mental disorder 

rate as a result of a number of 

factors. Limited finance and 

working long hours being a major 

reason as the cost of living 

is quite high, in some cases the 

cost of rent and accommodation 

is around 70-80% of your salary. 

The ability to save is also diminished 

as your disposal income 

is very minimum, which is why 

many work two to three jobs 

just to make ends meet resulting 

in less leisure time. 

And then ask yourself, “Why 

do most young adult New Zealanders 

emigrate in search of 

better paying jobs to Australia? 

Why do Australians emigrate to 

Europe?” 

In New Zealand, the 

media does not report much on 

suicides and statistically they 

have one of the highest rates of 

suicide in the world. Why would 

this be so if their ‘grass was so 

green’? 

Isolating factor 

Then add to this the isolation, 

of being in a foreign country 

and missing your family, friends 

and old lifestyles. Psychologists 

say this is a major factor in 

psychological stress, as you lose 

your support networks which 

need to be built all over again 

when you emigrate. 

The biggest cost I had to pay 

was that my mother passed 

away in South Africa and I was 

not able to be with her during 

her last years. This is something 

that needs consideration especially 

if you come from a closely 

knit family. 

Before you decide to emigrate, 

do your homework and 

research the country by going 

on holiday and also doing the 

online checks on their news, 

weather, job prospects and 

requirements for you to get 

accredited. 

Going backwards 

Do not be driven by fear, 

but be clear why you want to 

emigrate. You and your family 

need to be in agreement. If you 

are undecided do not do it. 

Be prepared to embrace 

change. Many have succeeded 

in emigrating but it takes 

patience. 

Be prepared to go ‘backwards’ 

before you go forward in 

regards to your income, work, 

and standard of living. 

If you do decide to emigrate, 

please do me a favour. Do not 

bad mouth South Africa. 

Many expats thrive on doing 

this to justify why they left in 

the first place. 

This is not cool! 

Myan Subrayan is a writer, 

speaker and life coach to 

elite teams and businesses. 

He is seen here with former 

All Black Inga Tuigamala. His 

Website: www.myansubrayan. 

co.za You also can follow him 

on Facebook and Twitter. 

Online Cover gives life to insurance policy 

AIA corporate clients 

can now offer life insurance 

to their employees 

online, after 

the launch of the new ‘REAL 

Easy Life Cover Portal Service’ 

on April 30, 2016. 

Corporate Solutions clients 

can offer their employees 

‘REAL Easy Life Cover’ that offers 

life protection up to the 

value of $300,000, as well as 

a new unique $15,000 Spouse 

Funeral Benefit Option. 

The offer is available to existing 

Corporate Solutions clients, 

as well as new corporate 

clients. 

Clients’ employees can complete 

their applications at the 

click of a mouse at www.realeasyinsurance.co.nz 

Employees then complete 

five simple application questions 

which will take just a 

few minutes. 

AIA New Zealand Corporate 

Business Development 

Manager Kylie Stubbs said 

that ‘REAL Easy Life Cover’ 

is another step towards 

making insurance simple 

and convenient for AIA’s 

corporate customers. 

Main advantage 

“The main advantage of 

‘REAL Easy Life Cover’ is 

that employers can have 

payments debited directly 

from their employees’ 

accounts or credit cards, 

whereas in the past an employer 

would have had to 

arrange salary deductions 

for their employees. 

The Spouse Funeral 

Option is unique to 

the voluntary group 

market, meaning 

that AIA is offering a 

point of difference to 

its customers. 

“I think our corporate 

clients and new 

corporate customers 

will appreciate 

the simplicity of the 

‘REAL Easy Life Cover 

Portal’ and Online 

Application Process, 

and this new product 

provides a great offering 

for their employees,” 

Ms Stubbs 

said. 

Unique web link 

The product also 

eliminates the need 

for AIA brokers to 

calculate individual 

quotations. Brokers 

can send a unique 

web link, provided 

by AIA New Zealand, 

to customers to assist 

with applications 

for ‘REAL Easy Life 

Cover’ and product 

developments, which 

will follow. 

Terms and 

Conditions apply. 

For more information, 

please contact 

Kylie Stubbs on (09) 

4888800 Extension 

735. Email: kylie. 

stubbs@aia.com 

Supplied Content 

AIA New Zealand 

is the Sponsor of 

the Best Financial 

Advisor (Mortgage) 

and Best Financial 

Advisor (Insurance) 

of the Year 

Categories of the 

Indian Newslink 

Indian Business 

Awards 2016.


26 ARTLINK-Ratna Venkat 

Sim Sala Bim, You have become trim! 

For those complaining of 

stretch marks and gaining 

weight despite a strict 

diet will find a solution 

in a new equipment that is not 

only fast and reliable but also 

cost-effective in the long run. 

The machine, new at Forever 

Shine Beauty Therapy, has already 

been tried and tested elsewhere 

with great success. 

It guarantees weight loss and 

even removes fat stretch marks. 

It also addresses issues such 

as water retention, sagging skin, 

tummy fat and skin colouration 

that bother women. 

Non-invasive technology 

Called, ‘Ultrasonic Cavitation 

Slimming Machine,’ it comes 

with Vacuum-RF Ultralipo and 

integrates four important features, 

namely, Cavitation, 

Vacuum, RF and Red Photon. 

The equipment has (a) proven 

non-invasive cavitation fat 

reduction (b) vacuum suction 

for deep fat blasting, body contouring 

and shaping (c) 5 MHZ 

Multipolar RF for body skin 

tightening and (d) Triolar RF for 

facial and eye tightening. 

The Ultrasonic Cavitation is a 

non-invasive technology based 

on ultrasonic waves which generates 

empty micro bubbles in 

the liquid situated in the interior 

of the adipose tissue. Its 

repeated action causes the accumulation 

of these micro bubbles, 

which causes the fat cells 

to implode and collapse. 

The result is the destruction of 

the adipose cells transforming 

the fat nodules into liquid substances 

that the body removes 

in a natural way through the 

lymphatic system. 

Optimised results 

Multipolar RF is the third generation 

RF Technology. It uses 

Multipolar electrodes to deliver 

RF energy deeply into skin. 

It also combines Photon energy 

to optimise the results. The precise 

heating ensures a safe, effective, 

fast treatment with no 

downtime. 

The secret of having a glowing 

skin is not only using the 

right treatment but also consulting 

the right therapist with 

the requisite qualification and 

experience. 

The Ultrasonic Cavitation 

Slimming Machines use a radio 

frequency wave that permeates 

epidermis and takes effect 

on the collagen-rich dermal tissue 

directly. This method makes 

water molecules in the skin 

move to and fro wildly. The heat 

generated results in contraction 

of collagen which reduces 

wrinkles. 

The result is that the skin begins 

to glow and wrinkles are 

reduced. 

If you think you need some 

help with weight reduction or 

any of your skin treatments, 

please call me or any qualified 

therapist. 

If you mention Indian 

Newslink at Forever Shine & 

Beauty Therapy, you will receive 

20% discount on your total 

treatment. 

Disclaimers: Ronita Sharma, Forever Shine & Beauty and Indian Newslink absolve themselves of any responsibility relating to the ingredients, methods and other matters relating to ‘Shine Forever with Ronita’ 

column. Some products may not be available at all places at all times and some products may cause allergies or other-side effects in some people. Caution must therefore be exercised before using all products, 

therapies or other methods suggested in the above column. Please consult Ronita Sharma, your General Practitioner, Nutritionist or any other qualified and authorised consultant. Ronita Sharma can be 

contacted on (09) 3580830; Email: forevershine_beauty@yahoo.co.nz 

Divine Brothers eulogised Bharata Natyam style 

Venkat Raman 


Lord Ganesha and Lord 

Murugan (also known 

as Kartik) would come 

in for immense praise as 

a Bharata Natyam concert gets 

under way in Wellington next 

month. 

‘Natraj School of Dance,’ based 

in Lower Hutt is presenting 

the programme called, ‘Skanda 

Ganapathi’ on Saturday, July 2, 

2016 at 530 pm at Sacred College 

Performing Arts Centre, located 

at 65 Laings Road, Lower Hutt, 

Wellington. 

The 650-seats Notre Dame des 

Missions Performing Arts Centre 

occupies a place of pride in the 

Centre of the College Campus. 

Funding Charities 

More than 50 students of 

Natraj School of Dance are participating 

in the forthcoming 

production, all of them young 

danseuses. Some of them are as 

young as five years. 

Creative NZ is supporting the 

Programme, the proceeds of 

which will be donated to charities, 

with some of the previous 

beneficiaries being ‘Wellington 

Free Ambulance’ and ‘Red Cross 

New Zealand.’ 

Prabha Ravi, a renowned 

Bharata Natyam dancer from 

Tamil Nadu, established Natraj 

School of Dance 18 years ago to 

encourage youngsters to continue 

the 4000-years-old tradition 

and bring the grandeur of 

Indian fine arts to the Capital. 

Since then, more than 500 

young men and women have 

been trained and to Ms Ravi’s 

Radhika Ravi and Anushka Aponsu 

gratification, a large number 

of them can be seen performing 

at local, regional and national 

events. 

Natraj School of Dance, as 

seen by this reporter more than 

ten years ago, brings together 

ambience and devotion, creating 

the appropriate environment 

for teaching and learning 

Bharata Natyam. 

Source of inspiration 

As reported in our November 

1, 2007 (Diwali Special) issue, 

Prabhavathi (better known as 

Prabha) Ravi, has singularly fostered 

Natraj School of Dance, 

its structure, form, course content 

and quality of teaching and 

learning. 

“Specialising in the 

Pandanallur and Kanchipuram 

Ellappa styles, she has been a 

source of inspiration to her students, 

many of whom would 

nourish the ambition of graduating 

in the art. Her penchant 

for dancing sprung from her innate 

passion for the arts and 

took her (at the age of three) to 

Kalaimamani Krishnakumari 

Narendran, a renowned 

Bharata Natyam teacher who 

runs ‘Abhinaya Natyalaya’ in 

Chennai. 

Ms Ravi is credited with more 

than 100 solo Bharata Natyam 

performances in various academies 

and associations in Tamil 

Nadu and at community and 

dance festivals held in Canada, 

Sri Lanka and the US. 

Discovering roots 

“Indian classical dance is 

not just moving the body to a 

rhythm. It is discovery of one’s 

roots, philosophy, mythology, 

language, culture and many other 

facets of life. Every child develops 

his or her personality 

and mind by learning this dance 

form,” she said. 

According to ‘Shiva Puranam’ 

and ‘Tolkappiyum,’ Lord 

Ganesha was extremely fond 

of His younger brother Lord 

Murugan, although there was 

a spirit of competition among 

them. Lord Ganesha, who is also 

known as ‘Pillayarappa,’ is older 

of the two in South India, 

whereas the converse is true in 

North India. 

Lord Ganesha is worshipped 

by all Hindus and His Birthday 

(in August) is marked by 10 to 

14 days of nightly prayers and 

gatherings in homes and public 

places. ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ 

has special significance to 

Maharashtrians. 

Lord of War 

Lord Murugan or Skanda 

Some of the students of Natraj School of Dance 

Natraj School of Dance teaches children and young adults 

was the pre-eminent God in the 

Maurya and Gupta Dynasties. 

There were Gupta kings in the 

name of Skanda Gupta and 

Kumara Gupta. 

In the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 

10, Verse 24), Lord Krishna, 

while explaining His omnipresence, 

names the most perfect 

being, mortal or divine, 

in each of several categories. 

While doing so, he says: “Among 

Generals, I am Skanda, the Lord 

of War.” 

What: Skanda Ganapathi 

Who: Natraj School of Dance 

Where: Notre Dame des Missions Performing Arts Centre 

Sacred College, 65 Laings Road 

Lower Hutt, Wellington 

Contact: Prabha Ravi on 021-817252 

Email: natrajschoolofdance@gmail.com


ARTLINK-Ratna Venkat 

27 

Street exposure has its revealing moments 

The King and his armour are never parted 

Overseas education is no catwalk 

Ashok Kochhar 

kochhara55@gmail.com 

As a photographer, I realise 

that if you want 

to know about the people 

of a country, go and 

photograph the streets. 

I have been shooting at various 

destinations across the 

globe but somehow New 

Zealand is special. People here 

are very cooperative, friendly, 

and do not feel offended if photographed 

even from a close 

distance. 

I am a photographer who 

loves taking close-ups with 

wide-angle lenses. 

Thus far, I have not come 

across any resistance from 

anyone. 

Community events 

Another point of appreciation 

is that New Zealand has several 

community events that give 

an opportunity for everyone to 

come together and interact with 

one another. 

These events give me an opportunity 

to meet some wonderful 

people and take pictures, 

street-photography style. 

I have made many friends on 

the streets instantly. 

Generally, after taking pictures 

I try to introduce myself 

and promise them to send 

the image, giving me another 

chance to set up a dialogue with 

them. 

Till date, I have taken pictures 

in small towns and big cities 

like Auckland, and it has been a 

great experience. 

Interesting settings 

Another interesting fact that 

is worthy of mention is that 

there is something or the other 

happening at all time on the 

streets. 

The place is so lively and inviting 

that one can spend 

months and years taking pictures 

on the same location. 

One always gets a chance to 

photograph very interesting 

settings. 

It may be a singer and guitarist 

or a couple posing like a B/W 

dressed statue or a small band. 

In a way, street photography 

in New Zealand is a lensman’s 

delight. 

The pictures that I am sharing 

here are from my collection of 

my journey of ‘500 Days in New 

Zealand.’ 

I hope you would like them 

and and that these pictures tell 

you many untold stories. 

Ashok Kochhar is a world-renowned 

photographer, designer 

and art director. He 

migrated to New Zealand with 

his family last year and contributes 

regularly to Indian 

Newslink. He is currently on 

a ‘500-days Assignment’ that 

will take him to the length 

and breadth of New Zealand. 

There are many other initiatives 

that he has planned with 

us, to be announced in stages. 

A stitch in time saves darning cost 

Back to back messaging 

Street dancing is never out of step 

Could she be the cause for solitude?


28 ENTERTAINMENTLINK 

Singers bring back pride of Tamils 

Venkat Raman 


Two Tamil singers from 

Chennai brought back 

the pride of Tamilians as 

they participated in the 

15th anniversary celebrations of 

the Auckland based Muthtamil 

Sangam Inc on Sunday, June 5, 

2016. 

More than 650 men, women 

and children attended the fivehour 

programme at Dorothy 

Winstone Centre (Auckland 

Girls Grammar School), almost 

four of which belonged to M J 

Shriram and his wife Srilekha 

Parthasarathy. 

It was however Shriram 

who spent more than three 

hours on the stage, belting 

out immortal numbers of S P 

Balasubrahmanyam to the tunes 

of Ilayaraja, although a few 

numbers belonged to the late 

P B Srinivas who rendered the 

compositions of Viswanathan 

Ramamurthy, culled from Tamil 

films of 1960s. 

Shriram performed in the 

Karaoke style and his immaculate 

voice, reaching 

high and low, brought 

authenticity to the original 

singer, engaging the 

audience in foot-tapping and 

hand-clapping. 

Ratna Venkat pays 

Tamilians are not prone to obeisance to Lord 

dancing on or off-stage at music Krishna in Bharata 

concerts and hence the request Natyam format 

M J Shriram with officials of Muthtamil Sangam 

of Srilekha for ‘let us have some 

dancing’ was largely ignored. 

Inimitable Ilayaraja 

A few early tunes of Ilayaraja 

were prominent for their powerful 

vocals and lilting music. 

They included songs from 

‘Apporva Sagotharargal,’ 

‘Singaravelan,’ ‘Nizhalgal 

Nijamagirathu,’ Nayagan’ and 

‘Rajakumar.’ 

Ravi Muthumanickam, 

our own singer, joined 

Shriram to render a couple 

of songs, of which ‘Nilave 

Ennidim’ taken from Tamil 

film ‘Ramu’ resonated the voice 

of the late P B Srinivas for Gemini 

Ganesan on whom the song was 

picturised. 

Ilaiyaraaja was one of the earliest 

Indian film composers to use 

Western Classical Music harmonies 

and string arrangements in 

Indian film music. 

This allowed him to craft a rich 

tapestry of sounds for films, and 

his themes and background score 

gained notice and appreciation 

among Indian film audiences. 

The range of expressive possibilities 

in Indian film music was 

broadened by Ilaiyaraaja’s methodical 

approach to arranging, 

recording technique, and his drawing 

of ideas from a diversity of musical 

styles. 

Srilekha’s ability to render 

Hindi and Tamil songs with equal 

ease brought her wide applause. 

Her rendition of ‘Dum Maro 

Dum,’ a captivating number by 

Asha Bhosle in ‘Hare Rama Hare 

Krishna’ resounded the auditori- 

M J Shriram with Ravi Muthumanickam 

M J Shriram and Srilekha Parthasarathy kept the audience under a four-hour spell 

um with calls for encore. 

“Our visit to New Zealand was made 

memorable by our people. I hope to return 

with my husband and our one-yearold 

son Aarush next year,” she told us after 

the show. 

Srilekha’s first movie song was ‘Yedho 

Onru,’ (for Tamil film ‘Laysa, Laysa’) 

and her career reached its height with 

the blockbuster hit Kalyanam Dhaan 

Kattikkittu (‘Tirumalai’), which topped all 

the music charts. 

Ratna Venkat 

Ratna Venkat was the Master of 

Ceremonies of the first part of the programme. 

Greeting the audience in Tamil, 

she outlined the highlights of the 15th 

Anniversary celebrations. Following her 

speech, she presented two dance numbers, 

including a Bharata Natyam performance 

on Lord Krishna and a folk dance in 

Lavani style to a Tamil romantic number. 

She explained the content and meaning 

of each of her dances before presenting 

them. 

She also announced citations and certificates 

of appreciation to a number of former 

officials of Muthtamil Sangam Inc. 

They were as follows. 

Presidents: Ilango Krishnamurthy, Nathan 

Saminathan, Premkumar Kandasamy, 

Purushotham Madanagopal, Ray 

Annamalai, Thangamani Periasamy and 

Vai Ravindran 

Vice-Presidents: Balasubramanian 

Santhanakrishnan, Krishnakumar 

Thandavarayan, Shyam Sundaraman and 

Sridhar Nagappan 

Secretaries: Kathiravan Sivaprakasam, 

Senthilnathan Natarajan, Sheba 

Soundhararajan, Soundharrajan 

Thiruppathi 

Treasurers: Balu Ramalingam, 

Mallika Thangamani, Saleem Naagoor, 

Vijayakumar Gurusamy 

Executive Committee members: 

Anbarasi Mohanaselvam, Anitha 

Maninilavan on behalf of Maninilavan 

Arivukkarasu, Arun Mudaliar, Balamurali 

Subbaraj, Britto Antony Cruz, Deen 

Mohamed, Gomathi Nayagam, Jagdeesan 

Ramasamy, Jamal Harris, Karthik 

Ramanathan, Krishnan Lakshmanan, 

Rajkumar Ramalingam, Sasi Indiran, 

Shakthi Krishnamurthy, Shanthosh 

Krishnakumar, Sree Swami, Sridevi 

Kathiravan, Subbiah Sundara Mahalingam 

and Yashwanth Kumar 

Tamil School Teachers: Balamani 

Somasundaram, Kumudham Sadasivam, 

Lalithavathi, Leenamani. Malar 

Senthilnathan, Mano Subramaniam, Dr 

Meenal Chandra, Seetha Meiyappan, Siva 

Nachiyappan, Subathra Rajaguru, Sujatha 

Purushotham and Vinodhini 

Radio Programme: Gobi Dinakaran and 

Rajamani



Divinity runs through Violin and Veena couple 

Malathi Vasudevan 

Kumaresh Rajagopalan, Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh and J Vaidyanathan at their Auckland Concert on June 

Though I have heard Dr 

Jayanthi Kumaresh and 

her husband Kumaresh 

Rajagopalan in individual 

concerts, it was the first 

time I heard the husband-wife 

duo in ‘Strings Attached’ 

Programme organised by the 

New Zealand Carnatic Music 

Society as a part of its threeday 

‘Sangeethothsavam’ (Music 

Festival) on June 4, 2016. 

The word ‘downpour’ has 

been used by announcers and 

media everywhere to denote 

this couple. And what we experienced 

was a downpour of 

rhythm and melody. Along with 

J Vaidyanathan on Mridangam, 

we had musical pedigree of high 

order on display. 

Not only were they master 

practitioners of their chosen instrument, 

but also boast of a 

noteworthy lineage in Carnatic 

Music. 

Mesmerising Journey 

Commencing with ‘Kanada 

Ata Thala Varnam,’ they travelled 

the gamut of Ragas and 

composers through ‘Sarasiruha’ 

in Nattai and ‘Kamakshi’ in 

‘Simhendra Madhyamam’ 

to ‘Lalgudi Thillana’ in 

‘Mohankalyani.’ 

Slipped in was a ‘Raga 

Pravaham’ in ‘Nattakurinji,’ a 

pet project of brothers Ganesh- 

Kumaresh, specially for 

instrumentalists! 

And then of course, the 

‘Ragam Thanam Pallavi’ in 

Charukesi with an abundance 

of ‘Ragamalika’ Swarams. 

A request for an English song 

brought about an ‘Indian Note’ 

which sparkled, nevertheless. 

The Mangalam was an unusual 

triad of ‘Hariharathmajam- 

Kamakshi’ (a Shyama Shastri 

composition) ‘Baghyada 

Lakshmi.’ 

Soft Instrument 

Veena is a soft instrument 

and due to sheer size, there is 

a lot of ground to cover for the 

artiste. Hence it is always invariably 

hard to play at high 

speed, or to play the half-quarter 

notes which tend to be the 

forte of a Vocalist. A violin is at 

an advantage here, since it is 

commonly featured as a main 

accompaniment. 

It is the skill of both artistes 

on stage, that none of those differences 

were evident. 

There was great understanding 

allowing for seamless continuity, 

be it an exploration of a 

Raga in ‘Alapana’ or as ‘Kalpana 

Swaram.’ 

Kumaresh brought in a 

semi-Western, flatter dimension 

to his playing in contrast 

with Jayanthi, who sticks to the 

steeped traditions of Carnatic 

Music. 

Innovative Spirit 

That blend created a lot of innovation 

and novelty which is 

an aural treat to the listener at 

all levels. 

Vocalist sets new standard of excellence 

29 

There was high energy on 

stage which I am sure was 

carried to everyone in the 

audience. 

That energy lasted in me 

throughout the two-hour drive 

back to my home in Hamilton. 

Editor’s Note: The late 

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, a 

doyen of Carnatic Music used 

to say that ‘Madhyamavati’ is 

a Raga that signifies the conclusion 

of a Concert. “This 

Raga is sung to seek forgiveness 

for any mistakes that 

may have crept in during the 

performance. Madhyamavati 

will bestow Mangalam and 

Wellness.” I do not possess the 

knowledge to offer a critique 

to the maestros Jayanthi and 

Kumaresh but their Concert 

was a rare treat. 

Malathi Vasudevan is a 

Chartered Accountant by profession 

and a Veena artiste 

with a deep understanding 

of the nuances of Carnatic 

Music. She is a former 

President of the New Zealand 

Carnatic Music Society. She 

has been the prime mover 

of the Shri Balaji Temple in 

Hamilton and continues to 

promote it as a Trustee and 

Treasurer of the Sri Balaji 

Temple Trust, which owns and 

manages the Temple, located 

at 2, Kent Street in Frankton. 

Carnatic Music 

finds new highs 

in Auckland 

Venkat Raman 


Priya Vijay 

The New Zealand Carnatic 

Music Society hosted a 

wonderful vocal concert 

by O S Vaidyanathan 

(popularly known as O S Arun) 

for its Annual Carnatic Music 

festival ‘Sangeethothsavam.’ 

He is indeed a gifted soulful 

singer who touched the hearts of 

many New Zealanders who were 

present at the auditorium on 

June 6, 2016. 

His ability to connect with 

them was evident as the stream 

of request slips were submitted 

to him even before he commenced 

the Concert. 

Varnam invigorates 

The opening piece, a Varnam 

in ‘Nattakurinji’ Ragam 

(composed by his Guru T R 

Subramanian) set a great tone to 

the evening. 

This was followed by a 

lively ‘Alapanai’ in Ragam 

‘Hamsadhwani’ for the 

Papanasam Sivan composition 

‘Karunaisevai.’ 

The ‘Swara Prastharam’ livened 

up the atmosphere 

with excellent support by 

Embar Kannan on the Violin 

and J Vaidyanathan on the 

Mridangam. 

Arun brings in the melody of 

Hindustani to the Carnatic genre 

as he did at this Concert. It was 

O S Arun accompanied by Embar Kannan (Violin) and J Vaidyanathan (Mridangam) in Auckland on June 6. 

an interesting presentation 

of Ragam ‘Vasantha.’ 

Spring in Music 

He asked the audience to 

visualise Spring with cuckoo 

birds singing. 

He brought some lovely 

Hindustani phrases to create 

this effect and at the 

same time retained the essence 

of Carnatic music. 

The ‘Neraval’ and 

‘Kalpana Swarams’ brought 

out the manodharma element 

beautifully for the 

Swathi Thirunal composition 

‘Parama Purusha 

Jagadeesha.’ 

The ‘Jayadeva Ashtapadi,’ 

‘Priye Charusheele’ bought 

the ‘Saki Bhava’ in Vasanthi 

raga. He explained the story 

behind the last two lines of 

this ‘Ashtapadi.’ 

The Raga, the lyrical 

beauty of the ‘Ashtapadi’ 

and the explanation saw 

the audience lapping up 

every inch of this musical 

presentation. 

The ‘Alaapanai’ in 

‘Poorvi Kalyani’ was superb. 

The resonant crystal 

clear voice brought 

out the ‘Swarakshara’ 

beauty of Muthuswami 

Dikshitar Krithi ‘Meenakshi 

Mudamdehi.’ 

Majestic Match 

The ‘Neraval’ and ‘Swara 

Prastharam’ were beautifully 

matched on Violin and 

Mridangam. Embar Kannan 

has an extraordinary bowing 

quality which is remarkably 

sweet, replete 

with clarity, soulfulness and 

energetic. 

J Vaidyanathan seemed 

to be playing ‘Sangathis’ 

through his Mridangam. 

He embellished Kritis 

with interesting ‘Tekkas,’ 

‘Nadais’ and ‘Arudis.’ 

Arun has created a niche 

for himself in the field of 

Bhakti Sangeetam. This 

was evident in the ‘Abhang 

Saka Panduranga’ and Sai 

Bhajan. 

Perfect symphony 

Those present at 

the Concert chanted 

‘Panduranga’ in perfect synchronisation 

with the artiste. 

It was amazing to see 

children and adults swaying 

to his tunes in their chairs, 

clapping and joining in the 

Bhajan. 

The three-and-half hour 

Concert also had all-time favourites 

like ‘Jagadodhara’ 

and D V Paluskar’s ‘Payoji 

Maine.’ 

Arun ended his performance 

with Lalgudi’s 

‘Behaag Thillana.’ 

The Concert was entertaining 

with a good mixture 

of regular and Bhajan 

music. 

Priya Vijay is a renowned 

Carnatic Musician and 

teacher. She has several 

public performances to 

her credit in New Zealand, 

India and other countries. 

She lives in Auckland and 

conducts regular music 

lessons for beginners and 

advanced students. 

Email: priyavijay10@hotmail. 

com 

We had mentioned in our 

curtain-raiser to the 

‘Sangeethothsavam’ of 

New Zealand Carnatic 

Music Society (Indian Newslink, May 

15, 2016) that Auckland would end its 

dry-spell to welcome a downpour of 

Carnatic Music. 

It was a not a prophesy based on 

knowledge of Astrology or ability to 

foresee the oncoming events but an instant 

realisation based on the names of 

performers invited to the annual Music 

Festival. 

Renowned Performers 

The Festival included a Veena 

and Violin Concert by Dr Jayanthi 

Kumaresh and her husband Kumaresh 

Rajagopalan on Saturday, June 4, 

2016 and a Vocal Music Concert by O 

S Vaidyanathan, popularly known as 

Arun with Embar Kannan on Violin. 

J Vaidyanathan was the Mridangam 

artiste at both Programmes held at Mt 

Roskill Intermediate School Auditorium 

located at Denbigh Avenue. 

Two experts of our Tamil community 

– Veena artiste Malathi Vasudevan and 

Vocalist and Music Teacher Priya Vijay 

accepted our invitation to review these 

two concerts independently. Their reviews 

appear in this Section. 

The highlight of the 

‘Sangeethothsavam’ was the performances 

of the students promoted by 

NZCMS, which conducts qualifying examinations 

at various levels. 

A review of their performances will 

appear with photographs in our next 

issue


30 ENTERTAINMENTLINK / CLASSIFIEDSLINK 

Flute master brings together global ensemble 

CARPET CLEANING 

ABACLEANZ URGENT 

Carpet Cleaning service 

Home or office great rates. 

0800 888 181 

Authorised by Grahame. 

Mobile: 021 486 269 

www.abadalehousemates.co.nz 

ROOM FOR RENT 

Room at Botany 

Modern Clean Furnished Room 

available 

180+ Student or Active Senior. 

0800 888 181 

Mobile 021 48 62 69 



What: Sargam Fusion with Rakesh Chaurasia 

Who: Old Fort 

Where: Great Hall of Town Hall 

303 Queen Street, Auckland City 

When: Friday, June 24 at 730 pm 

Tickets: $65 (A), $45 (B) and $25 (C) 

www.ticketmaster.co.nz 

Additional Service Fee may apply 

Contact: Basant Madhur on 021-0357954 

Email: basant_madhur@ihug.co.nz 

Rakesh Chaurasia, who has brought fame to his famous uncle Hariprasad Chaurasia and added divinity 

to the instrument that was a favourite of Lord Krishna, will be at the Great Hall of Town 

Hall in Auckland on Friday, June 24, 2016. 

Following is a brief profile of the artistes. 

Akhil Madhur 

Ravi Nyayapati (Percussions) 

Rushabh Trivedy (Keyboards) 

Rushabh is a self-taught pianist who has allowed his different 

musical experiences to create a unique fusion of Western and 

Eastern sounds. After beginning his journey in Hindustani classical 

music, his desire to express this to a global audience through 

the keys of a piano has only ever grown. His improvisational 

style gives his fingers the physical creativity born from the soul of 

a raga, and his electronic fusion tracks are a fresh take on world 

music 

Swapnil Gomez (Drums) 

Akhil has inspired hundreds of people in New Zealand with his impressive performances 

over the past two years. The confidence and maturity that he displays 

make him a welcome member of any group or performing artiste. 

He is now a regular concert accompanist including as a solo Tabla player or as a 

spirited part of Jugalbandi. 

Akhil will be an important part of the forthcoming ‘Global Indian Project.’ 

A multi-skilled personality, Ravi has been an active figure in the Auckland 

music scene, largely involved in anchoring concerts and stage management 

over the last few years. Ravi has resumed his interest in playing 

Dholak and side rhythm for concerts, to give completeness to live music arrangements. 

Ravi will be playing as many as six rhythmic instruments at 

the concert. 

Rob Mita (Bass Guitar) 

Rob, a popular musician in New Zealand, has been a regular at 

several music festivals. Rob plays the lead (Acoustic and Electric) 

as well as the Bass guitar. Specializing in Jazz and Western music, 

Rob has been part of many international events and has contributed 

to numerous albums across the globe. 

Seetha Jandhyala (Vocal) 

Seetha is a Hindustani singer who received her training from Guru Ravindra 

Parchure in Singapore in the Agra Gharana style. Ravindra ji is a Hindustani 

vocal music faculty member at the Temple of Fine Arts, Singapore which 

is a premier institution dedicated to the promotion of Indian performing 

and visual arts. Ravindra ji received his guidance from renowned vocalist 

Pandit Arun Kashalkar, of the Gwalior-Agra Gharana. Seetha started her 

early training in the Carnatic vocal tradition from her mother Jandhyala 

Rajyalakshmi and later from Gowri Gokul. Seetha’s aunt, Jagarlapudi 

Shobha is a well-trained Hindustani singer in Mumbai and has been a strong 

influence in sparking her interest in Hindustani vocal tradition. She is 

continuing her passion for Hindustani singing from her guru over Skype. 

Swapnil is the son of Bengali singer Leonard Gomez and has been 

a working session drummer for over a decade. He has performed 

in Europe and Asia and is best known for his drumming work 

in the New Zealand music industry working with artistes such 

as Smashproof, Nick Hohepa, Team Dynamite, Bailey Wiley, The 

Exponents, Th’ Dudes & Third3ye. 

He has also worked with international artistes such as Oli Goz, DJ 

Disk, Vernon Reid (Living Color), Uli Jon Roth (The Scorpions) and 

Karsh Kale. 

Swapnil is a full-time musician working on his own musical 

project ‘Yoko-Zuna’, collaborating with David Dallas. 

DR RANEE CHARYA 

(BDS.OTAGO) 

AS A FRIENDLY FAMILY 

DENTIST OVER 15 YEARS. 

Breaking News! Good News! Exciting News! 

Brought to you by Amarsee Pharmacy Otara, our mission is to make 

pharmaceutical care accessible to ALL at a high standard and at 

very reasonable prices. As of now, we are pleased to announce that ALL 

prescriptions that normally cost $5.00 per item is 

NOW available for ONLY $1.00 PER ITEM!!* (conditions apply). 

Also, under-13’s are FREE OF CHARGE!!* (conditions apply). 

Why wait? Spread the good news today! 

Amarsee Pharmacy 

Otara, 126 Bairds Road, Otara 

for more information 

Call (09) 272-3341 

*co-payments still apply. Only available to all GP & hospital prescriptions, 

not specialist or dental prescriptions. 

FOR ALL YOUR 

FUNCTION 

NEEDS! 

Seminars! 

Auckland Event All types of functions* are Govinda Restaurant 

Centre &Govinda 

Restaurant 

11 Pleasant View 

Road, Panmure, 

Auckland 1072 

Ph: (09) 527 8146 

M: 021 270 3424 

ENGAGEMENTS! 

CONFERENCES! 

www. www.bhakticentre.co.nz 

co. nz 

www. www.aucklandeventcentre.c 

co. nz 

o.nz 

$ 

50* Exam 

* X-Rays x 2 

* Consultation 

BIRTHDAYS! 

welcome, be it your 1 st 

birthday party or your 80 th 

birthday celebration; your 1 st 

wedding anniversary or your 

50 th wedding anniversary - 

Auckland Event Centre & 

Govinda Restaurant can cater 

for everything &anything!* 

Youare welcome anytime to 

check out the venue: 

•200+ free parking 

•Hiring of hall with acapacity 

of 300+ FREE OF CHARGE* 

•State of the art Sound 

System 

•Decorations available on 

request 

•Hall set up with table & 

chairs available in-house 

09-480 7265 

182 Hinemoa Street, Birkenhead, North Shore 

WEDDINGS! 

ANNIVERSARIES! 

RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS! 

HALL AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE!* 

Govinda Restaurant can cater 

for all your function needs* - 

IN HOUSE! Come in and try 

out the top quality food that is 

available. The restaurant is 

open 7days aweek, 10am - 

10pm. 

Govinda Restaurant also does 

catering for outside functions. 

If you would like to hold your 

function at home/elsewhere, 

don't bother preparing and 

cooking, let Govinda 

Restaurant prepare everything 

for you! 

We specialise in ALL TYPES* 

of Indian food, snacks and 

sweets! 

*conditions apply



31 

Alacrity brightens prospects at beauty pageant 

Venkat Raman 


I 

distinctly remember that 

day in 1966 when Indian 

newspapers came out with 

banner headlines announcing 

the crowning of Rita Faria 

as Miss World. 

There was only one Television 

Channel in the country at Delhi; 

Bombay or Mumbai was to get 

its first television service only 

in 1972. 

There was euphoria, celebrations 

and congratulatory advertisements-the 

whole world 

seemed to whirl around the 

first Indian global beauty. 

There were of course many 

eyebrows raised and protests 

held in many parts of India. 

“This is degrading women and 

antithetical to our culture and 

tradition,” many puritans and 

so called social workers said. 

The issue then died down. 

Four decades later, there 

have been changes. Aishwarya 

Rai won the title in 1994 and 

has become a hot favourite 

in Bollywood and may well 

find a place of prominence in 

Hollywood as well. Sushmita 

Sen has become another icon, 

having won the Miss Universe 

contest in the same year. A few 

others followed-Diana Hayden, 

Yookta Mookhey and Priyanka 

Chopra. 

Miss Indianz evolves 

Miss Indianz competition, 

which is now in its 14th year, 

has also undergone similar critiques 

but it has grown to become 

a more relevant and 

significant event. It has not only 

become a cultural extravaganza 

but also an important showcase 

of alacrity, presence of 

mind and equally important, 

humour. 

That the Indian Diaspora has 

matured to embrace beauty 

pageants, with parents encouraging 

their young daughters to 

participate, travel around the 

world and speak out on community 

and social issues, is a 

sign of progress. 

That has been a major 

achievement of Miss Indianz 

over the years. 

There is still time to enter 

Miss Indianz 2016. Visit 

www.rhythmhouse.co.nz 

or call Dharmesh Parikh on 

021-2727454; Email: events@ 

rhythmhouse.co.nz 

We continue our profile of the 

contestants, which commenced 

in our April 15 issue. 

MISS 

INDIANZ 

Saturday, 

September 17, 2016 

at 730 pm 

Aotea Centre, 

Auckland 

Tickets from 

Auckland 1, 2016 

www.aucklandlive. 

com 

Now in its 

14th year 

We will profile more Indianz 2016 

participants in our next issue. 

Nazmeen 

Karsan Prema 

Flying high is a part of her 

career for Nazmeen Karsan 

Prema. Indeed, this 19-yearold, 

Auckland born youngster 

studied Aviation last year but 

thought modelling would widen 

her horizon as well. 

“I believe that Miss Indianz 

would be an amazing experience 

not only to learn more 

about my Indian heritage but 

also take a risk. It is not often 

and easy for me to take risks 

but this is the direction I have 

chosen. I hope that it would be 

a great opportunity to build and 

grow to be a beautiful Indian 

woman,” she said. 

Pictures of Nazmeen are by 

Andrew Bignal, Sophie Tucker 

and Mark Forward. 

Natalie Narita Nand 

Auckland-born Natalie Narita 

Nand is an achiever with a 

difference. 

A ‘Participation and 

Inclusion Facilitator’ at a Non- 

Governmental Organisation 

(NGO), she is a specialist in community 

mental health support. 

Completing her graduation 

(Bachelor degree) in Science 

(with Psychology as a major subject), 

she launched her career 

at the NGO in 2012 and shortly 

thereafter took up an assignment 

at ‘Disney World’ in Florida, 

USA, as a part of her Overseas 

Experience. 

She returned to New Zealand 

last year and re-joined the same 

Organisation. 

“My passion has always been 

to be able to help others, which 

is something I get to do every 

day in my workplace. I support 

my clients to achieve their goals 

around work, study or community 

participation. I also volunteer 

with Project K, where I mentor 

a teenager. I hope to pursue 

my postgraduate studies in the 

health sector,” she said. 

Natalie started learning Hindi 

film dances and Bharata Natyam 

this year, to ‘reconnect with her 

Indian heritage.’ 

“My identity was not very close 

to my roots while I was growing 

up. I believe that Miss Indianz 

would be a great platform to engage 

with the Indian community 

and find out what it means to be 

a Kiwi-Indian,” she said. 

Risha 

Shritika Kumar 

At 15, Risha Shritika Kumar would be one of the youngest contestants 

of Miss Indianz over the years. 

Born in Lautoka, Fiji, she hopes that Miss Indianz would be a new 

experience and a great way to get to know new people. 

“It will bring new opportunities into my life and I look forward to 

the event. Miss Indianz is a great platform for young Indian women 

to gain self-confidence. It is about you and the efforts are what you 

put in, not others,” she said. 

Pictures of Risha are by Peter Niven and Serena Dickinson


32 SporTSLINK 

All Blacks save the day in the end 

Ravi Nyayapati 

The All Blacks began a new 

chapter on June 11 following 

the retirement of 

six stalwarts of the game, 

including the legendary Richie 

McCaw. 

Captain Kieran Read and his 

men in Black overcame early jitters 

to beat a tenacious Wales side 

39-21 at Eden Park in Auckland. 

The rustiness prevalent in the 

first match of the previous season 

haunted the team again as the 

they played under only their second 

Captain in ten years. 

Brilliant moments 

The All Blacks showcased moments 

of brilliance but these were 

overshadowed by a comedy of errors 

and poor ball handling skills, 

giving impetus to a stubborn 

Welsh side to retain a consistent 

lead for most of the match. 

At half-time, Wales led 18-15, 

following tries by Number eight 

Toby Faletau and scrum-half Rhys 

Webb. 

The second try by Webb followed 

a consecutive long range 

burst by Wales fullback Liam 

Williams after Ben Smith dropped 

a high kick inside his own half. 

Wales graciously capitalised 

on the fumble with superbly controlled 

phase play. 

The All Blacks came back to win against Wales at Eden Park in Auckland on June 11. 

Subdued performance 

Much to the anxiety of a 

packed Eden Park crowd the start 

of the second half saw the same 

subdued performance by the 

home team, with the All Blacks 

playing catch-up and giving the 

combative Welsh a sense of belief 

that they could re-write record 

books to end the 63-year losing 

streak against New Zealand. 

The timely introduction of Patrick 

Tuipulotu and Ardie Savea 

shifted the momentum. 

Fiji-born Waisake Naholo’s 

second try of the night gave the 

home team the lead, with only 20 

minutes remaining. 

Naholo was on song using his 

electric pace to his advantage, 

making up for ball watching in 

the first half that contributed to 

Wales’ first try. 

Good, at last 

The final try by Nathan Harris 

came seconds before the final 

whistle and thereby extend the 

final score. Read, who passed his 

captaincy test, along with Julain 

Savea scored the other tries. New 

first choice five-eighth Aaron 

Cruden slotted in four conversions 

and two penalties. 

Yet again, the All Blacks 

showed their bench strength and 

ability to dominate in the last 

quarter. They head to Wellington 

with nerves settled and clearly 

knowing what changes are needed 

to raise the bar. 

New Zealand’s sensational 

relationship with referee Wayne 

Blacks’ appears to have no 

ending. This time he disallowed 

a try citing a debatable forward 

pass by Cruden. Luckily, this has 

no influence on the result of the 

game. 

New Zealand 39 (W. Naholo 2, 

J. Savea, K. Read, N. Harris 

tries; A. Cruden 2 penalties, 4 

conversions) Wales 21 (T. Faletau, 

R. Webb tries; D. Biggar 

3 penalties, 1 conversion). 

Halftime: 15-18 

Fiji gets the better off Tonga 

Ravi Nyayapati 

Fiji hosted Tonga in Suva 

for the opening match of 

the Pacific Nations Cup on 

June 11. A nervous start 

by the hosts meant the team had 

to return from a distressing firsthalf 

slump to stage a magnificent 

comeback and overcome the visitors 

23-18. 

Debutant flanker Eremasi 

Radrodro had a night to remember 

after scoring a match-winning 

try. He started on the bench 

and only took to the field in the 

12th minute as an injury replacement 

for Malakai Ravulo. 

Nervous minutes 

Coach John McKee, the Kiwi 

who has been head coach since 

2014, named the strongest possible 

line up for Fiji ahead of the 

match. 

However, by the 30th minute, 

underdogs Tonga were in a surprising 

healthy lead following 

tries by halfback Tane Takulu 

and winger Pila Iongi. 

Tonga’s intensity gave no 

chance to the Flying Fijians to recover 

from the first try. Tonga’s 

two tries were within a space of 

seven minutes. 

Fiji regrouped at halftime staring 

at a blank canvas for their 

own score and a deficit of 15 

points to recover from. 

As the second half progressed, 

the experience began to surface 

as Fiji fought hard to claw their 

way back into the contest. 

Turnaround 

Within five minutes of being 

back on the field Ben Volavola 

found the score line and veteran 

Seremai Bai successfully converted 

to bring the game back 

to life for the passionate home 

crowd at the ANZ Stadium. 

Neemia Soqeta scored Fiji’s 

second try five minutes later to 

reduce the deficit further. 

Tension continued to linger 

when another penalty went 

Tonga’s way, and affording them 

a six point with only 24 minutes 

of play left. 

A couple of penalties from Bai 

brought the scores level at 18- 

18 with just nine minutes of play 

remaining. 

Newbie Radrodro then produced 

magic at the brink of fulltime, 

crashing his way through 

the tough Tongan defence for the 

decisive winning try. Radrodro’s 

courage restored pride as he 

snatched the game from the 

hands of Ikale Tahi. 

Veteran Seremai Bai’s eight 

points from a conversion and 

two penalties proved crucial. 

Fiji will meet Samoa in the second 

match of the tournament in 

Suva on June 18. 

Fiji 23 (Ben Volavola, Neemia 

Soqeta, Eremasia Radrodro 

tries; Seremaia Bai 1 

conversion, 2 penalties). 

Tonga 18 (Pila Iongi, Tane 

Takulua tries; Tane Takulua 

1 conversion, 2 penalties), 

Halftime: 0-15. 

ACTION, PASSION 

AND DRAM 

MA 

WITH THE VODAFONEWARRIORS! 

Three-game flexi 

$39 

membership 

Five-game flexi 

membership 

$59 

11-game junior 

membership 

$49 

NEW ZEALAND’S TEAM IN 

THE NRL 

WARRIORSFOREVER.CO.NZ |0800839 839

Indian Newslink 15th June 2016 Digital Edition

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?