Indian Newslink 15th Sept 2016 Digital Edition

HOMELINK 

Facts do not stack 

up immigration 

numbers 

ELECTIONLINK 

Candidates pledge 

to work for better 

times 

BUSINESSLINK 

Flour and taste 

enhance Taiwanese 

cuisine 

PAGE 04 PAGE 08-14 

PAGE 19 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

Issue 354 | September 15, 2016 | Free 

COOMMUNITYLINK 

PAGE 

26 

Cultural connection 

energises 

Chinmaya Youth 

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(From right) Dr Anil Channa, Veer Khar, Naveen Prakash, Sandeep Agarwal and Alkesh Sharma 

represented various Indian organisations at the meeting 

Indian community risks polarisation 

Dr Parmjeet Parmar, Bhikhu Bhana, Paul Bains Singh and Prakash Biradar at the NZICA meeting 

Venkat Raman 

venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Politics, differences in 

approach to common 

issues and inability or 

unwillingness to address 

problems are among the factors 

that threaten to polarise the 

Indian community in New 

Zealand – at least in Auckland. 

A meeting hosted by New 

Zealand Indian Central 

Association (NZICA) at Mahatma 

Gandhi Centre in Auckland’s 

Eden Terrace on Sunday, 

September 11, 2016, failed 

to achieve its main objective 

of assessing the concerns of 

various participating Indian 

associations as discussions 

drifted towards the need 

or otherwise of forming 

SAME DAYCREDIT 

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a ‘Federation of Indian 

Associations,’ to encompass all 

‘like-minded Indians.’ 

Federation Idea 

Such a Federation, according 

to some, is essential to 

strengthen the Indian voice 

in national polity and make a 

meaningful contribution to the 

social fabric of New Zealand. 

Dr Anil Channa and Veer 

Khar, both senior members of 

the community who have held 

offices in Indian associations, 

notably the Manukau Indian 

Association, were of the view 

that such a Federation would be 

on the lines of ‘United Indians’ 

formed in 2009, initially as a 

Committee to celebrate the 50th 

Anniversary of Indian Republic 

(in January 2010) but later to 

take a more concrete shape. 

AUCKLAND CBD: 

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PAPATOETOE: 

302, Great South Road 

AVONDALE : 

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WELLINGTON: 

233-237 Lambton Quay 

They were of the view that the 

rules of NZICA were too rigid to 

permit the wider participation 

of Indian community 

organisations and that the 

Federation idea would be an 

effective way to unification. 

Those averse to the Federal 

idea said that it would only lead 

to the creation of another body 

that would actually divide the 

community further. 

Damage control 

This Reporter said that as 

the premier and the oldest 

Indian association in New 

Zealand, NZICA should act 

on recent developments that 

have damaged the image of 

the Indian community in 

New Zealand. This includes 

exploitation of Indian migrant 

workers and students (both 

by many employers of Indian 

origin) and the increasing 

incidence of students from India 

submitting fake documents 

leading to their deportation. 

Compounding this problem is 

the charge that some education 

institutions involving Indian 

agents and managers or owners 

of educational institutions not 

complying with regulatory 

discipline and standards, he 

said. 

New Political Party 

The formation of a new 

political party by a group of 

Indians in recent weeks is also 

being seen as ‘unnecessary’ 

by its opponents. Almost all 

political parties have criticised 

this move as ‘racist’ and 

restrictive. 

The general election due in 

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2017 would decide if the new 

party has public support but 

in the interim there are no 

broad policy issues that aim to 

tackle such vital sectors as the 

economy, fiscal management, 

education, health and 

immigration. 

The NZICA meeting was 

hosted by President Bhikhu 

Bana with Secretary Prakash 

Biradar and Wider Community 

Forum Chairman and former 

NZICA President Paul Singh 

Bains. National MP Dr Parmjeet 

Parmar was the Guest of 

Honour at the meeting which 

had the noble objective of 

striking a common ground but 

the outcome turned out to be 

somewhat different. 

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 

02 HOMELINK 

Master and owner debate on shipping Indians out of Kuwait 

Second of three Parts 

Following the release of ‘Air Lift,’ a Hindi film early this year, a number of people including the Editor of 

this newspaper who were involved with Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990 to the liberation of 

Kuwait on February 28, 1991 felt that the Akshay Kumar starrer had betrayed reality. 

Then in our February 15, 2016 issue we began a three-part series written by Captain Zain Juvale who was the 

skipper of ‘MV Safeer,’ a merchant ship that had berthed at the Kuwaiti seaport of Shuwaikh. In those articles, 

he had made a number of comments which have now been challenged by Hanif Mohammed Modak, son of the 

late Captain Ibrahim Hussain Modak, Joint Owner of the vessel. The following is the second part of his challenge 

round. Captain Juvale has since contacted us to offer further comments but we have suggested that he 

held on until we complete the current series. 

Hanif 

Mohammed 

Modak 

In his article, Captain 

Juvale had said, 

“Unfortunately, although 

I obtained clearance 

from Iraqi authorities 

within 24 hours, bureaucratic 

hurdles from New 

Delhi tended to derail my 

rescue mission.” 

This is incorrect. The owners 

were in New Delhi meeting 

with External Affairs 

Ministry officials and were 

making efforts to get their 

permission for evacuation 

of Indian expatriates from 

Kuwait. 

Household names 

Captain Juvale said, 

“There was a constant 

stream of Indians pleading 

with me to rescue them on 

board my ship. I was confident 

and hence took a 

bold decision to ignore the 

warnings of the Indian authorities, 

called my ‘War 

Cabinet’ for a discussion 

about my plan, and proceeded 

with the rescue mission 

at my own risk and 

responsibility.” 

The Master had no authority 

to proceed with a 

rescue mission and could 

not have done so without 

the approval of ship owners 

and insurers. The ship 

could not have sailed out of 

Kuwait without the permission 

of the Iraqi authorities 

and the Indian Government. 

Ship conversion 

Captain Juvale said, “I 

managed to procure 400 life 

jackets and 14 life rafts from 

a dead war torn city. For all 

those trying to flee Kuwait, 

my small cargo ship was 

like QE2. 

This is incorrect. 

The owners with the help 

of Indian Navy have delivered 

387 life jackets at 

Port Shuwaikh whereas the 

Master had procured only 

14 life rafts locally. 

Captain Juvale: I later 

learnt that there were efforts 

underway back home 

in India, to prosecute me for 

defying the instructions of 

the Indian authorities. 

This is also incorrect. 

The Indian Government 

had no reason to prosecute 

the Master. The officials 

were discussing all aspects 

of evacuation with the owners 

and finally gave the 

green light to proceed with 

the evacuation. 

The Indian government 

issued a letter to Captain 

V R Kekobad thanking the 

owners and the company 

for safely carrying over 

700 Indian nationals from 

Kuwait and confirmed that 

the Indian government 

did not pay any amount 

for transporting Indian 

nationals. 

A batch of Indians rescued from Kuwait in September 1990 

The following is a highly edited 

version of a letter sent 

by Captain Nazir Al Mulla, 

Second-in-Command Chief Officer of 

‘MV Safeer’ to Captain Zain Juvale 

on March 13, 2016: 

Hearty Congratulations for ‘The 

Unsung Hero Community Award.’ 

As you are aware, the evacuation 

of 722 Indians on MV Safeer was 

once again in the limelight in the 

February 6, 2016 issue of ‘Midday.’ 

All this momentum was caught after 

release of (Hindi) movie ‘Air Lift.’ 

Also, Oyster had called the media 

and Safeer was again in the news after 

25 years. However, I was out of 

India during this period. 

Recently I was in Oyster’s office 

and to my surprise, I happened to 

view the logbook of ‘Safeer’ signed 

by us. I read some of your writings, 

some of which are unfairly exaggerated, 

exploited and not in line 

with actual facts that we faced in 

Iraq-occupied Kuwait. Following are 

some examples: 

During the first military action, 

when all crew was captured by Iraqi 

soldiers and forced to line up on the 

wharf in surrendered position. After 

this, there was no harassment. None 

of the crew faced a gun six inches 

from his eyes. 

On no occasion during our 35 

days of stay in Kuwait did the ship 

run short of food. ‘Safeer’ being a 

rice carrier had stores full of rejected/torn 

bags sufficient for the entire 

crew to survive for at least nine 

months in dire situations. Later 

the soldiers opened a canteen in 

port Shuwaikh and poured boxes 

of chicken and other stuff on the 

ship. In fact, some Iraqi authorities 

and some soldiers used to have their 

meals from the vessel. 

I must emphasise that the unprecedented 

operation that led to successful 

evacuation of 722 Indians 

from Kuwait on a small cargo ship 

was not a one-man show. It was a 

joint effort by the crew of ‘Safeer.’ 

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HOMELINK 

Awards Sponsors get together in goodwill spirit 

03 

Ratna Venkat speaking at the event | Ansuya Naidoo and Jessica Guthrie of BNZ | The Pereira Family 

It is all team work: Our Sponsors and Guests at the Dinner 

Indian businesses are 

among the strongest 

partners in the growth 

and development of 

the economy and many of 

them have been a source 

of inspiration for the 

country, a number of corporate 

officials have said. 

“Entrepreneurial efforts 

must be accompanied 

by commitment, the 

competence to set targets 

and reach them and the 

capacity and willingness 

to serve customers with 

quality and care,” they 

said at a dinner hosted by 

this newspaper to honour 

the Sponsors of the Indian 

Newslink Indian Business 

Awards (INLIBA) 2016 

on Monday, September 

12 at Pullman Hotel in 

Auckland City. 

Sponsors’ support 

Indian Newslink 

Managing Director Jacob 

Mannothra said that the 

country must celebrate 

the success of the business 

community, especially 

small and medium enterprises 

which face formidable 

challenges. 

“I am happy that Indian 

Newslink instituted the 

Awards Scheme to recognise 

and reward business 

achievers in the Indian 

community. Such projects 

cannot be successful without 

the support of sponsors. 

It is heartening to see 

that many of our major 

institutions such as BNZ 

(Title Sponsor), 2degrees 

Mobile Limited, AIA New 

Zealand, Pullman Hotel, 

Oporto New Zealand, 

Relianz Travel, Mercury 

Printz and Radio Tarana 

supporting this initiative. 

This Awards Night 

has become an important 

event on New Zealand’s 

Calendar,” he said. 

Celebrating success 

As we expressed our 

gratitude to our Sponsors, 

they said that they felt 

privileged to be associated 

with this Project, now in 

its ninth year. 

“We are happy to 

join hands with Indian 

Newslink to celebrate the 

success of the Indian business 

community through 

INLIBA 2016. These 

Awards help us to not only 

promote our image but 

also our products and services,” 

they said. 

A detailed report with 

more pictures will appear 

in our next issue. 

The exclusive dinner 

was organised to apprise 

sponsors of the 

Awards Scheme, the ben- 

efits it has accrued thus 

far to the sponsors and the 

Gala Black Tie Cocktails, 

Dinner, Entertainment 

and Awards Presentation 

Ceremony scheduled 

to be held on Monday, 

November 28, 2016 at Sky 

City Convention Centre in 

Auckland City. 

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04 HOMELINK 

Facts do not stack up to immigration numbers 

Aaron Simon Martin 

There has been a great 

deal of press coverage 

given to the number of 

long-term arrivals and 

the number of work visas being 

issued. 

It is often accompanied by an 

undertone of racism. 

The debate is not often accompanied 

by detailed analysis 

of the numbers that are 

quoted. Often ‘long-term arrivals’ 

is a term of reference used 

by the Department of Statistics 

to label people who are entering 

New Zealand for long periods 

of time, but not necessarily 

with the intention of residing or 

holding a resident visa. 

Ministry of Business, 

Innovation and Employment 

data will show that over the 

2014-2015 year, just over 42,000 

resident visas were issued. 

People fail to appreciate the 

figure is representative of the 

number of people. 

When looked in that context, 

it is not a significant ‘influx of 

migrants.’ 

Misunderstood facts 

Most commentators also fail to 

realise that a significant portion 

of resident visa applicants are 

relationships with New Zealand 

citizen and residents or are international 

students who have 

acquired skilled jobs that allow 

them to transition to residence. 

For an international student, 

it will often take at least four 

years from the time they are 

first issued a student Visa to get 

residence 

Likewise, the statistics for the 

issue of work visas are seldom 

analysed in detail. 

Commentators fail to realise 

a significant portion of those 

work visas relate to students 

who are entitled to a one-year 

open work Visa on completion 

of their studies. 

Those students can get a further 

two-year work Visa after 

that provided they obtain a 

job commensurate with their 

qualification. 

Some of those work visas are 

issued to people who have 

already applied for skilled migrant 

residence status but are 

yet to have their applications 

decided. Those applications of 

course involve them having a 

job offer. 

‘Relationship Visas’ 

There are also a large number 

of work visas issued to those 

people who are in relationships 

with New Zealanders. 

None of these work visas 

needs to be labour market 

tested. 

In other words, the Work Visa 

authorises work for any employer; 

or the employer does not 

need to prove they cannot find a 

New Zealander to do the job. 

New Zealand also has a significant 

number of work visas issued 

under reciprocal Working 

Holiday Schemes. 

Those schemes entitle young 

people from various countries 

to come to New Zealand to work 

in return for our young people 

being able to go and work in 

those countries. 

This is how most young New 

Zealanders travel overseas 

working their way through the 

OE. If those work visas are taken 

out of the statistics, there are 

Cancer patients sought for card-sorting study 

Nicole Cameron 

you wearing a 

wig?’ is the kind 

of question that a 

young person with 

‘Are 

cancer might be 

asked. Whether it makes them feel 

embarrassed or supported depends 

on how the question is delivered 

and interpreted. 

I am seeking about 30 people aged 

between 16 and 25 years who have 

been diagnosed and treated for 

cancer to take part in a card-sorting 

task in which participants are 

required to group similar kinds of 

social interactions. 

I will collate the results of the 

card-sorting exercise to form a 

multi-dimensional model to map 

the emotional interactions of young 

people with cancer. 

Social support 

Using the model, I want to find 

out more about communication 

experiences, needs and sensitivities 

of young people with cancer. The 

findings will form the basis for 

producing information that will 

help families, friends and health 

professionals provide the right 

kinds of support for young people 

with cancer. 

Social support is an essential 

part of a person’s experience with 

cancer. But social support can be 

both positive and negative, and 

unfortunately the latter can be 

detrimental to a person’s physical 

and psychological health. 

Examples of comments and 

reactions the participants might 

have experienced and are being 

asked to sort are: “Over-protective 

of me”; “Told me, ‘You’ll be fine’’’; 

“Whispered about me”; “Assumed 

that now treatment is over I am 

fine”; “Commented that I look good”; 

and “Shared their own experiences 

with cancer.” 

I would like to find out, for example, 

if participants believe practical 

assistance and concerned questions 

have a similar emotional impact, 

of if they rate questions about their 

treatment as similar to questions 

about their bodies, or consider these 

to be different concepts. 

Personal experience 

My desire to research this 

topic was sparked by my own 

experiences as teenage cancer 

patient, and awareness of the 

unique challenges for people in 

this age group in dealing with what 

can be a life-threatening condition 

during a significant time of their 

development. 

My study addresses the social 

aspects of cancer in the context 

of youth development, when 

self-consciousness about body image, 

emerging sexuality, emotional 

turbulence and peer pressure are 

keenly felt. Being diagnosed and 

treated for cancer, and managing 

visible side effects (such as hair loss, 

weight gain and disfigurement), can 

add another whole dimension to the 

turmoil of youth, she says. 

Understanding relationships 

The model that will be created 

from the responses will help to 

not a large number of foreign 

workers taking New Zealanders’ 

jobs. The balance of the work visas 

that are issued are because 

the employer has proven they 

cannot find a New Zealander to 

do the job. 

Birth Statistics 

New Zealand has had a historically 

low birth rate. We have an 

increasing aged population. Until 

those things change, we must 

add to the pool of taxpayers to 

assist in maintaining the provision 

of public services (education, 

health, police, pensions, 

ACC et cetera) that we enjoy. 

Often, people forget that 

those migrating to New Zealand 

Skilled Migrants come here with 

a strong desire to work hard, 

succeed and lead a peaceful life. 

Those are qualities any country 

should be pleased to accept. 

These people are an asset to 

New Zealand. They work hard 

because of one simple truth – 

when you migrate to another 

country failure is not an option. 

Aaron Simon Martin is Barrister 

and Solicitor, employed as 

Senior Associate and Immigration 

Specialist at Turner 

Hopkins Solicitors based in 

Auckland. 

provide an understanding of the 

relationships between interactions 

in a similar way to how a globe represents 

the approximate distances 

between countries, she says. 

An understanding of these 

relationships should support 

researchers to apprehend the role 

and importance of psychosocial interactions 

to adolescents and young 

adults who experience cancer. 

I know from experience what it 

is like when people unintentionally 

say the wrong thing, or do not know 

what to say when talking to a young 

person with cancer. 

The card-sorting test takes about 

one hour to complete. Participants 

will receive the material via post, 

and after completion participants 

will receive a $20 gift card. 

Nicole Cameron is a Psychology 

doctoral student at Massey University. 

She is seen here with the 

cards designed for her project.


Diversity Job Fair next month 

Guilia Pimental 

Migrant unemployment has been a 

growing concern in New Zealand 

despite the huge demand in the labour 

market. 

Hence, the Diversity Job Fair (DJF) organised 

by Migrant Action Trust (MAT), a non-profit 

organisation supporting new migrants into 

employment and settlement in September last 

year attracted more than 1000 migrants. 

This year’s DJF will be held on Saturday, 

October 1, at the AUT Sir Paul Reeves Building 

with the theme ‘Migrant Employment & 

Settlement Expo.’ 

It aims to tailor-fit every session to equip 

migrant job seekers to become ‘Job-Ready’ with 

the hope of helping prepare migrants to be 

more knowledgeable about the New Zealand job 

market. 

Addressing issues 

Aimed to be a catalyst to tackle the issues of 

unemployment, the event is created for migrants 

to gain a greater chance of having a better life in 

this country. 

What makes this expo unique is that it will 

not only create a platform for employers and 

job seekers to interact and to network, but also 

the sessions are customised to fit migrants’ jobsearch 

needs. 

Job seekers will have an opportunity to hear 

successful stories from migrant workers and discuss 

about the ins and outs of their respective 

industries. 

These job sectors include retail, hospitality, 

health, IT, business, admin and marketing, engineering 

and food manufacturing. 

The event will provide the networking platform, 

the tools, and the job-search hacks to 

inspire, encourage, motivate and empower migrants 

to have a voice and stand in New Zealand, 

proving that their skills, know-how and global 

experience are potential assets to the country. 

New segments 

MAT has gathered skilled and professional 

people to run the CV and cover letter checking 

and mock interviews so job seekers can get 

an actual experience of how application processes 

actually happen, in hopes that it can help 

build their confidence and skill in handling such 

situations. 

DJF is introducing two new segments this 

year, namely the ‘Entrepreneur Session’ and the 

‘International Student Forum.’ 

Guilia Pimentel is Diversity Job Fair 2016 

Coordinator at Migrant Action Trust 

HOMELINK 

05


06 EDUCATIONLINK 

Student protests bring down national image 

Protest against deportation in Mt Roskill, Auckland on September 3. 

(Picture Courtesy: Radio New Zealand) 

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Apurva Shukla 

In a first of its kind protest, 80 people 

marched up to the electorate 

office of Dr Parmjeet Parmar, 

National Member of Parliament in 

Mount Roskill, Auckland on September 

3, 2016. 

They were protesting against the 

deportation of 41 Indian students, 

who were alleged to have filed fake 

documents. 

The protestors said that the students 

should be allowed to stay in New 

Zealand and not be punished for the 

deceitful acts of their education agents. 

The New Zealand government’s 

argument was that these students 

were liable since they had documents 

while applying for work visas at the 

office of Immigration New Zealand 

(INZ) in India. 

In the midst of all these claims and 

counter claims, the fact remains unchanged 

that 41 students were heading 

back to India. 

International Education is the fifth 

biggest export earner for New Zealand. 

The industry is worth $ 3.5 billion 

annually. In 2015, about 125,000 

international students were enrolled in 

our schools, universities, institutes of 

technology and private providers. 

Language concession 

The number of student arrivals 

from India rose significantly in 2013 

after the government relaxed English 

language requirements. Private 

Training Establishments (PTEs) can 

now admit students into their programmes 

without having to establish 

their proficiency in English language 

through independent tests such as 

IELTS or TOEFL. 

They could use their own tests 

and judgement instead. More than 

10,000 students from India came to 

New Zealand last year. This offset the 

slowdown in International students 

coming from China. 

The fall in student numbers from 

China was reportedly due to deportation 

of 200 Chinese students in 2012 

on similar grounds as that of students 

from India. 

Standards important 

Education is a lucrative industry but 

are standards and quality being compromised 

to boost revenue? Are short 

term gains so attractive that standards 

can be overlooked? 

Last year, INZ rejected nearly half of 

the 20,000 visa applications from India. 

Should not such high numbers of 

declined requests prompt an even 

stricter scrutiny of applications? 

Student applicants are required to 

show that they have sufficient funds 

in their bank accounts at the time of 

application. This is sound practice. 

But the reality is that documents can 

be easily fudged. 

INZ must employ better standards of 

scrutiny and seek the expertise of the 

Indian government. Officials in New 

Zealand say that they cannot control 

education agents in a foreign country. 

But they should not allow blacklisted 

education agents to deal with educational 

institutions in New Zealand. 

Lowered reputation 

There is no denying that the reputation 

of international education in New 

Zealand is falling. Many are using the 

‘student path’ to enter the country. 

The New Zealand Qualifications 

Authority (NZQA) has a checklist of 

criteria that educational institutions 

must comply with in their business. 

Even a layman can observe that 

our system of approving educational 

institutions must be reviewed. Many 

of these operate as shops lacking basic 

infrastructure and faculty. 

New Zealand is being ‘sold’ as a 

destination to students to gain permanent 

residency. Unscrupulous agents 

lure students with false promises and 

improper processing of applications 

by INZ leads to situations such as those 

faced now. 

Education New Zealand should also 

revisit its marketing strategy in India. 

The ramifications of a large student 

population are being felt in other areas 

also. 

Auckland is dealing with a booming 

population with inadequate infrastructure 

to sustain the demand arising in 

areas like housing and transport. 

Exploitation of migrant workers is 

also rampant. 

The government and NZQA must 

have in place robust and exhaustive 

measures to ensure that genuine 

students come to New Zealand. Procedures 

and policies cannot be altered to 

suit individual needs. 

Procedures and policies cannot be 

altered to suit individual needs. 

Additional Reading: Our Editorial, 

‘Lesson to be learnt at least now’ 

under Viewlink


Diabetes research works out well 

EDUCATIONLINK 

07 

Dr Martin Gram 

Exercise has been shown to improve 

the health of people with 

type 2 diabetes. 

But the benefits of exercise vary 

greatly between people, meaning that 

some benefit more than others. 

Now, researchers from Massey 

University’s School of Sport and Exercise 

believe they may have discovered why. 

Dr Lee Stoner, Dr David Rowlands 

and I are studying whether a novel keratin-derived 

protein extract developed 

in New Zealand, can enhance the benefits 

of exercise in people with type 2 

diabetes. 

Promising interim results 

While the study is ongoing, results so 

far are promising. 

One of our participants who has now 

completed taking part in the study, said 

that he is sleeping much better and finds 

that his alertness and concentration have 

improved. 

Another came on board at a time 

where her doctors wanted her to go on 

insulin treatment as her sugar levels had 

been increasing at an alarming rate. 

At completion of the study, she experienced 

a massive drop. 

Naturally, she felt fantastic when she 

got the results from her blood test, and 

her aim now is to get it even lower. 

Preliminary results from the study 

have been shown to Dr Nick Oscroft from 

Newtown Medical Centre in Wellington. 

Meaningful improvements 

He said that patients have shown 

meaningful improvements in the control 

of their diabetes, as well as other measures 

of general health. 

Speaking with those who have completed 

the study period, many have come 

out with a renewed sense of control over 

their long term condition and knowledge 

of how their body responds to exercise. 

Four of the eight participants who have 

now completed the study no longer qualify 

to be considered Type 2 Diabetic, as 

their sugar level has dropped below 50. 

The beneficial effects may have been 

caused by the unique amino acid and 

mineral composition of the protein, 

which may protect the body’s tissues 

through anti-oxidant mechanisms. 

Ingestion of the keratin protein may 

help diabetics lower blood glucose levels. 

Consequently, the study will provide 

an opportunity to assess this promising 

practical, natural and non-drug intervention 

for diabetic therapy. 

Increasing incidence 

Approximately 7% of the New Zealand 

population has Type 2 Diabetes and 

prevalence of the disease is expected to 

increase. 

Diabetes results from a reduced ability 

of the body’s tissue to take glucose (sugar) 

out of the blood stream. Most of the 

glucose is taken up and used by skeletal 

muscle. 

An impaired capacity for skeletal muscle 

to take up and use glucose eventually 

leads to increased risk for eye or kidney 

damage as well as cardiovascular 

disease. 

Participants needed 

The research team is currently looking 

for participants who are sedentary, aged 

between 35–65 years and has been diagnosed 

with Type 2 Diabetes but is not on 

insulin treatment. 

The study is 17 weeks long and includes 

14 weeks of exercise supervised 

by clinical specialists. 

During the study, health tests will be 

done to evaluate the effects of the training 

and protein intervention. 

The study is a collaboration between 

Massey University College of Health; 

the Centre for Endocrine and Diabetes 

Research at Wellington Hospital, the Free 

Radical Research Group at Christchurch 

Hospital and the Department of Anatomy 

at the University of Otago. 

The study is funded by a ‘Smart Ideas’ 

grant from the Ministry of Business, 

Innovation and Employment and Massey 

University. 

Dr Martin Gram is a Research Officer 

at Massey University School of Sport & 

Exercise. People with Type 2 Diabetes, 

interested in being involved in the 

Programme may contact him on 022- 

1692343; Email: m.gram@massey.ac.nz 

Art and Culture Lectures at Otahuhu Library 

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 

“I loved the e-Learning 

experience and industry 

relevant courses at BEST” 

Leshmi Devi 

BEST GRADUATE 

CERTIFICATE IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM LEVEL 3 

people. Our stories’ 

is the slogan for Tōia 

Talks, an exciting, free 

‘Our 

lecture series scheduled to 

commence at 630 pm on September 22, 

2016 at the Otahuhu Library located at 

28, Mason Avenue. 

The bi-monthly series is aimed at 

convening community leaders, social 

activators, and change-makers to share 

stories and offer better solutions for a 

better world. 

It is supported and funded by the 

Mangere Otahuhu Local Board. 

“This is a great opportunity to hear 

the stories from Otahuhu told by people 

from Otahuhu. We are excited to launch 

this art and culture series and we look 

forward to hearing the stories that come 

out of it,” Community Librarian Barry 

O’Callaghan said. 

Feature documentary 

The inaugural Tōia Talks lecture will 

feature filmmaker, Paul Janman and 

historian, Scott Hamilton who will 

discuss their feature documentary, 

‘Fragments of the Great South Road’ and 

screen footage from the film. 

Janman and Hamilton walked the 

200-kilometre road talking with locals, 

historians, and artists about living along 

this historic road. 

The Great South Road was built to 

bring a British army into the Māori 

Waikato Kingdom. It runs from the edge 

of King Country at the Puniu River up 

the Great South Road to Newmarket in 

Central Auckland. 

For more information, please contact 

Luisa Tora on 020-41049081. 

Email: luisa.tora@aucklandcouncil. 

govt.nz www.facebook.com/ 

otahuhulib/ 

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 ELECTIONLINK 

Good governance should accompany Mayoralty 

Phil Goff 

What are the qualities 

a new Mayor of 

Auckland needs to 

have? 

I was asked this question at a 

meeting convened by Auckland’s 

Employers’ and Manufacturers’ 

Association last week. 

I believe that the answer 

begins with a vision of what our 

city needs to be. 

Firstly, I want Auckland to 

be a place where talent and 

enterprise can thrive. 

For decades young New Zealanders 

have left our country to 

find their future in places such as 

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and 

beyond to cities like London. 

We need Auckland to be the 

one international city that New 

Zealand has which can retain 

talented Kiwis here and attract 

the best and brightest migrants 

from overseas. 

Magnet Cities 

Accounting firm KPMG has 

done a study entitled ‘Magnet 

Cities.’ 

It describes how 400 cities 

around the world with a population 

of more than a million 

people compete for the best talent, 

which is extremely mobile, 

and for companies that can drive 

national economies. 

It argues that Auckland must 

become a city brimming with 

innovative ideas, with attractive 

infrastructure and a buzzing 

culture. 

Auckland has to be a city which 

attracts educated, ambitious and 

energetic young people who will 

create wealth. 

Our city also needs to be an 

inclusive place which welcomes 

diverse cultures. 

We are one of the most 

multicultural cities in the world 

and we benefit from the richness 

this creates. 

Celebrating Ethnicities 

It is great to see tens of thousands 

of Aucklanders each year 

celebrating Diwali, the Lantern 

Festival, Eid and Pasifika. 

Auckland also needs to be 

inclusive in ensuring all our 

young people can achieve to 

their potential and to avoid a city 

divided into gated communities 

and areas of deep disadvantage. 

We need to be a city that protects 

and sustains our stunning 

natural environment, creates a 

built environment to match this 

and retains the important parts 

of our heritage. 

As well as having a vision, 

Auckland needs a mayor who 

has the personal qualities which 

Aucklanders respect. It’s about 

integrity and commitment to 

service rather than the arrogance 

and sense of entitlement that too 

often goes with politics. The demands 

of the mayoralty are high 

and a new mayor needs a strong 

work ethic and a readiness to 

routinely work an 80-hour week. 

The mayor needs to be collaborative 

and to make the effort 

to work with and bring together 

others around the drive to create 

what Auckland needs. 

Cohesive Council 

Auckland wants a Council that 

works together rather than being 

disunited and embroiled in petty 

politics. It wants a mayor who 

can deal collaboratively with 

central government, but who will 

advocate strongly for the City 

and can command respect. 

Experience also counts. 

The Mayor is not the manager 

of the Council, responsible for 

day to day operational matters. 

That is the role of the Chief 

Executive. 

The Mayor’s role, like that of a 

Cabinet Minister, is to exercise 

governance. 

He or she sets the strategic 

direction of Council and the outcomes 

which the Chief Executive 

Officer is required to achieve. 

Experience in running major 

departments or ministries, of 

setting and living within budgets, 

of problem solving and learning 

to do more with less is a real 

advantage. 

Communication is a critical 

skill. When only 15% of Aucklanders 

have confidence in 

how the council is currently 

operating, that shows both 

dissatisfaction with what 

Council is doing and a failure to 

communicate what it actually 

has achieved. 

These are the skills I believe 

the electors will be looking 

for in a new Mayor as well as 

evidence of proven competency 

in providing professional and 

strong governance that can take 

our City forward. 

Phil Goff is a candidate for 

Auckland Mayoralty. 

“Making Auckland a city where 

talent and enterprise can thrive.” 

AUTHORISED BY PHIL GOFF, 59 HIGH ST, AUCKLAND 

For a better Auckland 

forabetterauckland.org.nz


Hamilton must preserve its pristine beauty 

Javed Chaudhry 

I 

arrived as a fresh face on the New Zealand 

Local Government Election scene in 

2013 with enthusiasm and many years 

of experience to work for Hamilton, a 

wonderful city. 

Prior to this, I was well known to local 

community groups for my involvement in 

community and social work. 

I managed to secure almost 2000 votes as a 

first-time candidate in the last election and this 

feat has inspired me to aim high for Hamilton. 

I have been in governance and managerial 

roles in various community organisations. 

In 2010, I was nominated for the ‘Volunteer 

of the Year’ Award of Volunteering Waikato. 

I currently work as a volunteer at the 

Waikato branch of Diabetes NZ. 

Proud family 

My wife and I proudly raised our three 

children in Hamilton. Two of them are now 

accountants and the third is a doctor. We have 

three lovely grandchildren. 

A first class Master of Science with honours, 

I am an accomplished entrepreneur and a 

project leader with more than 25 years of executive 

experience and a number of academic 

publications. 

I have also had international exposure in 

Europe, Asia and Australasia. 

Growing City 

Hamilton is a quickly growing city with a diverse 

vibrant community and we need to look 

after its economic, social and environmental 

health and ensure that it remains a great place 

to live. 

I am passionate about the wellbeing and 

needs of our community and stand firmly on 

a number of key issues regarding the future of 

this great city. 

I also stand for responsible financial 

decision-making and economic and social 

development of Hamilton. 

I support affordable housing options, the 

‘Hamilton City River Plan’ and no water 

charge. I also endorse building modern 

multi-use theatres with a number of features 

and amenities for the public. 

Javed Chaudhary is a candidate for the 

Hamilton City Council Election 

ELECTIONLINK 

Love where you live? 

2016 Local Elections 

16 Sept - 8 Oct 

09 

Love where you live? 

2016 Local Elections 

16 16 Sept -- 88 Oct Oct 

BC5816_IN_159 

From 16 September 

voting documents 

arrive in the post. 

Keep an eye out. 

Find out more at



Maungakiekie-Tamaki Ward deserves more 

YOUR COUNTIES MANUKAU DISTRICT 

HEALTH BOARD CANDIDATE 

SINGLA Narinder Kumar 

MA(English), Dip. Pharmacy, M.C.S.E, 

Post Graduate Dip. in Health Family 

Welfare & Population Education 

Registered Ayurvedic Medical Practitioner 

Independent Marriage Celebrant NZ 

White Ribbon Ambassador NZ 

Chairman Hunters Corner Town Centre Society(INC) 

President Life Vision Society Chartable NZ 

President GOPIO South 

I stand:- 

1. Educating the youth & adult regarding obesity and reduce the risk 

of obesity and related illness in our community. 

2. To improve better services and care to tackle type II diabetes which 

is a growing concern. 

3. utilising more resources and focussed strategy for more effective 

and speedy treatment of Cancer Patients. 

4. Try and work with CMDHB to provide more doctors and nurses in 

order to reduce the waiting time at Hospitals. 

5. To ensure the resources and assets of CMDHB are utilised for 

benefit of community and tackel any future health issues that might 

araise. 

Authorised By NK Singla 10 A Elizabeth Ave Papatoetoe 

Patrick 

Cummuskey 

As the Labour candidate 

for councillor 

for the 

Maungakiekie- 

Tamaki ward in the local 

elections coming later 

this year, I am a keen to 

let our community know 

more about who I am and 

what has motivated me to 

put myself forward for local 

office, and encourage 

everyone to vote as part of 

this election. 

I have grown up in 

Mt Wellington and now 

live with my family in 

Onehunga, and although I 

have travelled extensively 

in my life so far, Auckland 

is my home and I care 

deeply about its future. 

Improving facilities 

I have served the public 

for ten years in Auckland’s 

local government, working 

on improving buildings, 

civil defence programmes, 

engineering research, and 

policy development, and I 

volunteer in my free time 

as a St John ambulance officer. 

Auckland is presently 

at a crossroads and 

facing a lot of uncertainty 

as to where it is going to 

end up. 

The state of the housing 

market has been having 

a profound effect for 

all of us, and if we do not 

make intelligent plans now 

for future housing and development, 

we are going to 

suffer the consequences in 

the years to come. 

I am concerned that as 

more and more people 

find themselves without 

a stable home to call their 

own, we are going to see 

increased health and social 

problems amongst our 

population, and a continued 

increase in crime. 

Housing supply 

To prevent this and 

hopefully turn it around 

as soon as possible, I believe 

it is imperative that 

Auckland Council works 

with the government to 

increase the supply of 

housing and take other 

necessary measures to 

shift the focus on housing 

from commodity back to 

fundamental need. 

As for the welfare of our 

communities, it is frustrating 

every time I or my colleagues 

in St John have 

to respond to another assault 

or murder, especially 

when we are seeing increasingly 

younger perpetrators 

of these crimes. 

While much of the power 

to increase policing and 

manage our justice system 

lies with central government, 

the Council is 

still able to play its part by 

supporting police efforts, 

neighbourhood watch 

groups, and through the 

design of the city itself. 

On an aspirational note, 

I would like to have the 

Council do more to support 

the development of 

our tech industry, especially 

where it links in with 

our universities. 

Rich potential 

There is a lot of potential 

to be accessed if we can 

foster this, with benefits 

to our local and national 

economy and more technical 

jobs for our younger 

generations. 

I firmly believe that 

Auckland Council can 

build for the future and 

serve its citizens better 

than any other local authority 

in the world if we 

encourage collaboration, 

creative-thinking, forward 

planning, and the use of 

best scientific principles 

and the technology in front 

of us. 

My vision is that 

Auckland can become not 

only a great place for our 

citizens to live in, but a 

model for others to look up 

to and emulate the world 

over. 

Patrick Cummuskey is 

Labour candidate for 

Maungakiekie-Tamaki 

Ward 

Strong commitment to promote Papatoetoe 

Narinder 

Kumar Singla 

One of the most 

significant characteristics 

of cities 

and their suburbs 

in New Zealand is their colourful 

history, dating back 

to the early settlers. Most of 

them have undergone vast 

changes in demography, lifestyle 

and environment but 

miraculously retain their 

original flavour of simplicity, 

friendliness and the spirit of 

good neighbourhood. 

Among them is Papatoetoe 

in the heart of Manukau. 

Business District 

The suburb is today one of 

the most important business 

districts of Greater Auckland, 

with an increasing 

number of retailers, professionals, 

service providers 

and restaurants establishing 

their presence to capture 

the ever-growing market 

potential. Over the past 

three years, Papatoetoe in 

general and Hunters Corner 

in particular, has begun to 

challenge Mt Roskill as the 

‘Haven of Indian Shopping.’ 

The Otara-Papatoetoe 

Local Board area includes 

the suburbs of Otara, 

Papatoetoe, East Tamaki, 

Puhinui and Manukau 

Central. The Board area is 

home to diverse and vibrant 

communities, with strong 

community networks. 

Improving facilities 

As an Independent Candidate 

for the Papatoetoe 

Local Board and Counties 

Manukau Health Board, I 

am keen that our region 

receives the facilities that it 

deserves. 

I am also keen that ethnic 

communities receive the 

attention and services that 

they deserve; and that their 

lot is improved. 

As a resident of 

Papatoetoe for the past 14 

years, I have experienced its 

challenges and problems, as 

much as I have witnessed it 

growth. 

I am also aware of the 

growing needs of the Indian 

community, which accounts 

for almost a third of the local 

population. 

At public gatherings, social 

events and other places, 

I hear our people saying that 

they often feel neglected. 

They believe that despite 

a constant rise in rates and 

cost of living, they have not 

seen much improvement in 

amenities and facilities. 

High growth potential 

Papatoetoe is home to 

a large number of Indian 

businesses, professionals 

and others who contribute 

significantly to the local 

economy. 

As a Justice of the Peace 

and Marriage Celebrant, I 

am keen to promote sound 

family values; as Chairman 

of the Hunters Corner 

Town Centre Society Inc, I 

work with Council officials, 

businesses, educational 

institutions and community 

groups to create a more 

congenial commercial and 

social environment. 

Joint efforts 

We need to act together to 

reduce social ills. We must 

strengthen the by laws to 

regulate street prostitution, 

violence and make our 

residential areas safer. 

Papatoetoe residents 

should enjoy living in an 

established area, with close 

proximity to the airport, 

motorway, industrial areas 

in Wiri and East Tamaki and 

the sub-regional Manukau 

city shopping Centre, 

Hunters Corner, Otara Town 

Centre and St George Street 

area. 

If elected to the Local 

Board, I will work to (a) 

make our streets, public 

places and homes safer (b) 

improve healthcare, create 

better civil and community 

facilities and amenities (c) 

tighten Council bylaws to 

control street prostitution, 

graffiti and other social challenges 

(d) facilitate growth 

of businesses (e) improve 

our roads, drainage system, 

parks, libraries, sports centres 

and swimming pools. 

Narinder Singla is a 

candidate in the ensuing 

Papatoetoe Local Board 

and Counties Manukau 

District Health Board 

elections.


Papatoetoe people 

stand for better facilities 

ELECTIONLINK 

Local Elections 2016: 

Basic Details 

11 

Dr Ashraf 

Choudhary 

It has been a privilege 

to serve you as a Member 

of Parliament for over 

nine years (2002-2011). 

Prior to that, I was an 

Associate Professor at 

Massey University for 26 

years. 

Now, I have decided to 

spend more time in the local 

Papatoetoe community 

to help solve their 

concerns and issues. 

Therefore, I have put 

my name forward for 

the forthcoming Otara- 

Papatoetoe Local board 

(Papatoetoe subdivision) 

elections. 

Community stalwarts 

I am member of Labour 

team of four very capable 

and well respected community 

stalwarts, who 

have joined me as candidates 

for the four seats 

in the Papatoetoe subdivision. 

They include Ross 

Robertson, Former MP for 

Manukau East and current 

Deputy Chair of the 

Otara-Papatoetoe Local 

Board; Dawn Trenberth, 

an early Childcare teacher 

in Manukau; and Ivoni 

Fuimaono, a Church 

Pastor and a Tongan community 

leader. 

Our team represents 

the diverse demographics 

of Papatoetoe and the 

wider Manukau region. 

This group of like-minded 

candidates assures you 

that, if elected, we will 

promote honesty and integrity 

in decision-making 

for our communities. 

Progressive policies 

Our policies, inter alia, 

include the following: 

Our team will strongly 

advocate for the development 

and implementation 

of policies and planning 

on community safety in 

Papatoetoe that will minimise 

and manage the 

negative effects on our 

community around alcohol 

harm; legal highs, and 

anti-social behaviour. We 

will strongly advocate for 

sinking lid policy on liquor 

outlets. 

We will also strongly 

advocate for enhanced 

council facilities, services 

and opportunities 

that promote and foster 

stronger families; access 

to quality support services 

and housing for the elderly 

and disabled; and 

initiatives that promote 

and support young people 

in work experience, education, 

employment or 

training. 

What I am asking you is 

to ensure that you, your 

friends and families, and 

all those eligible to vote, 

cast their vote for all my 

team members to ensure 

a strong and united 

voice in running the local 

board. 

Also, please support 

Labour candidates for 

two Councillors positions 

in Manukau. 

If you have any queries, 

please contact me at 

021799573 or email me 

at ashrafchoudhary1@ 

gmail.com. 

Dr Ashraf Choudhary 

is a Candidate for 

Otara-Papatoetoe Local 

Board (Papatoetoe 

Sub-Division) and Counties 

Manukau District 

Health Board 

Election of members of local authorities 

are held once every 

three years, on the second 

Saturday in October. 

The next elections will be held on 

October 8, 2016. 

Some local polls may also be held in 

conjunction with elections. 

By-elections are held when a vacancy 

occurs. 

The triennial elections of regional 

councils, city and district councils, 

community boards and local boards 

are held at the same time as elections 

for district health boards and licensing 

trusts. 

Your council’s Election Statistics for 

the past three elections are found under 

its profile. 

Key dates for local authority elections 

2016 

27 June 2016 

Electoral Commission enrolment campaign 

starts 

15 July 2016 

Nominations open for candidates. 

Nominations have to be sent to the 

electoral officer for the council, district 

health board or licensing trust. 

Rolls open for inspection at council offices 

and other sites locally 

12 August 2016 

Nominations close at 12 noon. Rolls 

close. After this date, anyone who is 

entitled to vote and who is not enrolled 

as an elector, or whose details 

are incorrectly recorded on the roll, 

will have to cast a ‘special vote’ 

17 August 2016 

Election date and candidates’ names 

publicised by electoral officers. 

16-21 September 2016 

Voting documents delivered to households. 

Electors can post the documents 

back to electoral officers as 

soon as they have voted. 

8 October 2016 

Polling day — The voting documents 

must be at the council before voting 

closes at 12 noon. Preliminary results 

(i.e. once all ‘ordinary’ votes are 

counted) will be available as soon as 

possible afterwards. 

13-19 October 2016 

Official results (including all valid ordinary 

and special votes) declared.


12 VIEWLINK / ELECTIONLINK 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

Issue 354 | September 15, 2016 

Let us foster the power of 

‘Local Democracy’ 

Elections have always excited people, although some surveys 

showed apathy among the younger members of the society. 

This is likely to reverse this year, given the fact a morethan-usual 

number of people of Indian origin have entered 

the field. 

The Indian community, which is likely to account for about 80,000 

votes throughout the country, has thus far been somewhat indifferent 

towards politics, largely supporting one of the major parties. 

In a number of constituencies which account for a large number of 

Indian population, especially Mt Albert, Mt Roskill and Manukau 

East in Auckland, the winning candidates have drawn their strength 

from the community. 

Important, not critical 

But this should not be interpreted to mean that the community 

holds the key to electoral results; far from it; while the Indian vote is 

important, it is not critical, save for a local board or two. 

Elections are just one part of the network of institutions (like honest 

courts) that need to be in place for democracy to work properly. 

Without those institutions, voting sometimes seems, at least in the 

short term, to make things worse. 

In the history of New Zealand polity, never has there been an election 

in which so many candidates of Indian origin had sought to run 

for the public office as it is in the ensuing Local Government election. 

With a record number of candidates of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan 

and Fijian origin, this would be the largest contingent representing 

people as Councillors and Local Board Members in their respective 

Wards and of course the District Health Board. 

Abiding interest 

The reason for such an unheard of interest in politics is not far to 

seek. With the increasing number of people from these countries migrating 

to New Zealand in recent years, it is natural that there would 

be a rise in the number of people with political ambitions. Besides, 

unlike Australia, everyone with a permanent residency status has 

the right to vote. 

An increasing number of people across the Auckland Region believe 

that the South Asian communities have grown over the years 

and hence deserve adequate representation in local affairs. 

These factors have brought about increasing interest of these migrant 

communities in national and local politics. 

The inclusion of three members of Indian origin in New Zealand’s 

Parliament following the General Election in September 2014 has 

provided a fillip to the hitherto submerged desire among many to run 

for the public office. 

Veritable platform 

More than twelve years ago, we created Electionlink pages to allow 

candidates, their supporters and political parties to have their say 

without reservation (within the legitimate limits of propriety and decency 

of course); more important for ordinary people like us to voice 

our concerns so that they could be heard in the right places, leading 

to the right action. 

There are many who believe that City Fathers and Mothers, elected 

as Councillors and Local Board Members (not to forget the Mayor) 

are far more important in the immediate context of life in the neighbourhood 

than lawmakers in the Federal context. While the Central 

Government is all too pervasive, its local counterpart is more specific 

to our daily lives. 

From a futuristic point of view, the new interest being shown by 

the Indian community in local politics augurs well with the integration 

of smaller Councils, the need to foster Sister-City relations with 

important cities in India and a host of other emerging opportunities. 

Diaspora influence 

The New Zealand Government is keen to involve Indian businesses 

in its negotiations with its Indian counterpart. The knowledge and 

expertise of the Diaspora in public affairs and administration will be 

of immense help in the process. 

There is a growing feeling that the Government in Wellington, 

especially the current Local Government Minister allows Local 

Councils little autonomy, except to issue alcohol licenses, collecting 

rubbish and designing lamp-posts. 

There is therefore an urgent need to revive what we call, ‘Local 

Democracy,’ with a decentralised establishment, with Power to the 

People. 

We believe that the solution to better administration rests on ‘double 

devolution,’ pushing more resources and responsibility for running 

things from Central to Local Government and from town halls to 

an amorphous web of charities and voluntary associations. 

This is a veritable chance that should not be lost. Aucklanders 

must make a clear and decisive choice and hold those elected to account. 

They must be forced to perform. 

We do not need moneybags but ordinary people looking after ordinary 

people. 

This is time for action. We must exercise our franchise and ensure 

that only those who deserve to be in public office are elected. 

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 

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

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Efficient Rail system will 

track our progress 

Phil Goff 

I 

released my Transport 

Policy on September 7, 

2016. 

It aims to bring forward 

rail and busways and pursue alternative 

funding options to pay 

for infrastructure. 

My policy will also see the 

conversion of the Council vehicle 

fleet to electric, including the 

mayoral car, to reduce carbon 

emissions and pollution. 

Worsening congestion 

Auckland’s worsening congestion 

is costing the city billions 

of dollars so tackling the problem 

has to be a priority for the 

incoming Council. Public transport 

projects will be the priority, 

and will free up the roads for 

those who do not have alternative 

options. 

With bus lanes due to hit capacity, 

such as on Queen and 

Symonds Street, we need to look 

at rail as an alternative mode 

of transport. I want Auckland 

Council to prioritise the development 

of light rail and sign 

off of a business case for an 

isthmus light rail system so 

that it can be included into the 

Council’s 2018 Long Term Plan. 

With our tourist numbers 

growing and the airport area increasing 

as a place of employment, 

I want to see progress 

made on rail from the city to 

the airport, be it heavy or light, 

based on the business case. 

Expanding Motorways 

The current works expanding 

the Northern-Western motorway 

should have had a busway 

capacity built in. That now 

needs to become a priority, as 

well as extending the busway 

north from Albany. 

The transport policy provides 

a multipronged approach 

to solving and future proofing 

Auckland’s worsening transport 

problems including improving 

park and ride facilities in the 

outer parts of the network and 

electrifying trains to Pukekohe 

as a priority to eliminate transfer 

at Papakura. 

The AMETI (Auckland 

Manukau Eastern Transport 

Initiative) project from 

Panmure to Pakuranga needs 

to be progressed as early as 

possible. 

Cycle networks 

Completing cycle networks 

around Auckland to add an alternative 

for people to move 

around the city and kids to bike 

to school. 

None of the infrastructure 

is going to come cheap but 

Auckland needs it. Aucklanders 

have said they are prepared to 

pay their share – through alternative 

funding tools such as a 

regional fuel tax or some form 

of road charging. They prefer 

these methods to the massive 

rates hikes and strategic 

asset sales that would otherwise 

be required. Treasury also advised 

the government earlier 

this year that rate rises and asset 

sales are not the way to fund 

infrastructure. 

Housing Infrastructure Fund 

We need the government to 

consider expanding the Housing 

Infrastructure Fund to cater for 

transport projects. If we want 

capital at the lowest possible interest 

rate, we also need to consider 

bond schemes. 

My priority will be to work 

with central government on 

this. 

I will also consider public/private 

partnerships or 

BOTs (Build-Operate-Transfer) 

schemes to get the infrastructure 

going earlier than we otherwise 

might have been able 

to. Higher financing cost will 

be offset by the saving made 

by delivering these big projects 

faster. 

Electric Cars 

As part of my overall drive 

to increase efficiency and sustainability, 

the mayoral car, and 

progressively the Council fleet, 

will be converted to electric 

over time. 

No one wants Auckland 

grinding to a halt. Central government 

needs to work with 

Auckland to provide its fair 

share and then give us the tools 

to pay ours. And that is what I 

will be pushing for as mayor. 

Phil Goff is a candidate for 

Auckland Mayorality.


ELECTIONLINK 

13 

Poor service nauseates Middlemore patients 

Dr Ashraf Choudhary 

Recently I met a local 

doctor who made a sly 

comment saying that the 

Middlemore hospital is 

often referred to as “Muddlemore 

Hospital” by its health staff. 

This is because the hospital is 

over-crowded, has long patient 

waiting lists, doctors and nurses 

are overworked, and for many 

patients, parking is a nightmare 

and expensive. 

This reflects the state of affairs 

of health facilities in South Auckland, 

which generally represents a 

low socio-economic base in whole 

of Auckland. Diabetes and cardio-vascular 

diseases are rampant 

due to obesity, lack of education 

and poverty in the region. 

Asian health ignored 

There is a slow recognition 

of Asian health issues within 

Counties Manukau District Health 

Board (CMDHB) area. 

Latest demographics suggest 

Indian community as the largest 

Asian grouping, with concentrations 

in Papatoetoe, Manukau, 

Manurewa, and further south. 

Chinese are concentrated in 

Howick and Botany suburbs. 

There is little or no recognition 

of the true extent of some of 

the health issues and emerging 

diseases among Asian people in 

New Zealand. Language, cultural 

differences and lack of knowledge 

of NZ healthcare system are often 

quoted as barriers to receiving 

appropriate health care. Cultural 

differences and stigma associated 

with health issues, confidentiality 

and cost are also mentioned as 

barriers to receiving good health 

care. 

Priority essential 

There is a need to give high 

priority to Asian people’s health 

requirements. That requires 

improved competence of health 

professionals to deal with these 

emerging health issues particularly 

among our new residents. 

One of the remedies for such 

health needs is to have people of 

Asian ethnicity at the governance 

level of our DHBs and at senior 

executive positions in our health 

systems. 

This is the reason we have chosen 

high calibre and competent 

individuals to join our Labour 

candidates team for the forthcoming 

election of Board members 

of CMDHB. We have a range of 

expertise among our candidates 

ranging from medical, legal, research 

capabilities, policy making 

and community representation. 

Collective response 

Furthermore, I encourage voters 

to support Labour candidates 

as a team so that we can collectively 

respond to these emerging 

health issues. That can only 

happen if we have a majority at 

the decision-making of the health 

board. The so-called individual 

“independent candidates” cannot 

make any impact on their own 

at decision-making by the whole 

Auckland’s future depends on voting numbers 

Rob Harris 

We live in an amazing 

city: diverse, beautiful 

and growing fast. 

Auckland is a great 

place to live, do business and raise 

a family. 

I am a 29-year-old property and 

construction lawyer and I am 

standing for the council because I 

love this city. 

My dream is that Auckland 

becomes a truly global city that 

embraces different cultures 

and attracts top businesses and 

workers. 

I want a city where the average 

family can afford to buy a home 

and most people can get to work 

or school without driving. 

To achieve this, we need a 

council that enables growth and 

development through good policy 

and smart investments. 

But oftentimes, the council is 

too expensive, bureaucratic and 

lacks common sense decision 

making. Aucklanders agree, 

giving the council a lowly 15% 

satisfaction rating in a recent 

council survey. 

Addressing issues 

Auckland’s next cohort of 

leaders must act with urgency 

and long term vision on the key 

issues of housing and transport if 

the city is to reach its potential. 

The Unitary Plan is a good start. 

It allows for 422,000 more 

homes to be built in Auckland 

over the next 30 years. Auckland 

Future supported it right from the 

get go. But to give life to the plan 

we need to streamline the processes 

around council approvals 

and build the infrastructure that 

will support those new homes. 

To address our traffic woes, 

Auckland Future will focus on 

improving the convenience, speed 

and safety of alternative transport 

modes. 

While there are some short 

term solutions like adding more 

buses and exclusive bus lanes, 

we must continue building more 

public transport infrastructure, 

adopt technology advances and 

increase the density of housing 

near transport routes so more 

people can easily access those 

networks. 

Promising projects 

Promising new projects is easy; 

paying for them is the challenge. 

Auckland Future is focussed on 

fiscal responsibility by capping 

rates rises at 2% on average, 

cutting wasteful spending, reducing 

staff costs, and looking 

for opportunities to partner with 

business so we can make the 

smart, commercial investments 

that Auckland needs. 

For the last six months, I have 

been working hard in Albert 

- Eden - Roskill to give voters a 

board of seven elected and four 

appointed members. 

Voting for the CMDHB is by 

Single Transferable Vote (STV) 

system. 

Please Rank Labour candidates, 

of your choice, by giving each 

candidate a different number 

between 1 and 7, Number 1 being 

the highest rank. 

Traditionally, the voting 

percentage among Asian voters 

is low. 

Therefore, please ensure 

prompt and early voting. Every 

vote counts! 

Dr Ashraf Choudhary is a 

Labour candidate in the forthcoming 

election to the Counties 

Manukau District Health 

Board. 

clear choice between the present 

and a better future. That future is 

in your hands. 

Over to you. 

Rob Harris is an ‘Auckland Future’ 

candidate for Albert Eden 

Roskill in the ensuing local 

elections.



C & R builds stronger communities in Orakei 

Supplied Content 

In 2010, David Wong 

ran for the Orakei 

Local Board as an 

independent. 

Being a New Zealandborn 

Chinese, David was 

keen to break the ‘glass 

ceiling’ within the white 

middle class ward of 

Orakei and bring youth, 

change and diversity to 

the local Board. 

He got close but knows 

now that he has a better 

chance in 2016 with a 

strong Communities and 

Residents team behind 

him and a larger electorate 

of Asian voters. 

There are 13,000 Asians 

in the Orakei Ward representing 

18% of the total 

electorate. 

Grassroots support 

David will be the first to 

admit he is not a politician 

but is a firm believer of 

supporting the community 

at grassroots. 

Having enjoyed rolling 

his sleeves up with 

the Auckland Branch of 

the New Zealand Chinese 

Association as Deputy 

Chair and as Secretary 

of the Auckland Chinese 

Community Centre, 

David’s week nights and 

weekends are full of planning 

an array of cultural 

events for all generations. 

In his spare time, he is 

David Wong 

an active member of the 

multicultural Rotary club 

of Auckland Harbourside 

(a Club Chartered by Mike 

Jaduram). 

Discreet Persona 

David co-chaired the 

‘Diverse Bananas,’ Global 

Dragons Conference at the 

University of Auckland in 

June 2014 with an array of 

high profile Chinese key 

note speakers. 

Constitutional lawyer 

Mai Chen, internationally 

acclaimed chef Anthony 

Hoy Fong and half-Chinese 

brewery entrepreneur 

Paul Croucher w ere 

among the high calibre 

speakers. 

“It always amazes me 

how many New Zealand 

Chinese business people 

fly below the radar despite 

having so much success; it 

must be reflective of our 

Chinese upbringing to exude 

a humble and discreet 

persona,” he said. 

War Refugees 

David’s parents, like many 

of that generation, were 

war refugees arriving in 

New Zealand during the 

early 1940s. To flee from 

war-torn China was a 

tumultuous and stressful 

time and David recalls his 

parents telling stories of 

hardship and hunger and 

finally landing by boat in 

Wellington after six weeks 

on water. 

“My father had no formal 

education and immediately 

found work in market gardens 

in Otaki and my mum 

had schooling up to fourth 

form. She was forced to 

leave school to help my 

grandmother bring up the 

other eight siblings,” David 

said. 

With his three other brothers 

and a younger sister, 

David followed the traditions 

of Chinese families. 

A doctor, lawyer, business 

consultant, and two accountants 

(which includes 

David and his sister) the 

siblings ensured that they 

repaid their parents by 

completing their education 

and forging good careers. 

As the voting looms closer 

David is hopeful that the 

Orakei Local Board will 

start to paint a picture that 

reflects the ethnic and cultural 

mix of the Ward and 

of Auckland. 

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How to choose a real estate 

salesperson 

Supplied Content 

Thinking of selling your 

house? For most people, 

their home is their biggest 

asset. 

As experts in the often daunting 

process of buying and selling 

property, a real estate 

salesperson can be a major 

support in the sale or purchase of 

a home. 

Why use a real estate agent? 

There are many advantages of 

using a real estate professional 

to guide you in the sale of your 

home. Their access to market 

data, knowledge of sales in your 

local area, individual marketing 

approach to reach the widest 

range of buyers, and experience 

in the complex sales process can 

all help you get the best possible 

outcome for your home. 

What’s more, they can save 

you time and stress, leaving you 

to get on with your own 

responsibilities. 

Do your research 

Look for salespeople who are 

active in your community and 

have sold a lot of property in 

your area, particularly properties 

that are similar in size, type and 

price bracket to your home. On 

barfoot.co.nz, you can search for 

salespeople active in your area, 

and read through their profiles, 

which include their current 

listings, testimonials, videos, and 

a track record of their recent 

sales. Visiting the open homes 

of prospective salespeople is 

another good way of seeing 

them in action. Check how they 

present someone else’s home, 

how engaged they are, and how 

approachable they seem. You can 

learn a lot about a salesperson 

when you come across them as a 

prospective buyer. 

Seek recommendations 

Chances are that someone in 

your network of friends, family 

and acquaintances has gone 

through the process of buying or 

selling a home. Ask around for 

referrals, and find out how their 

salesperson helped them achieve 

their goals. 

Choose a company you trust 

The reputation and available 

resources of a company is an 

important consideration. Choose 

a salesperson who works for a 

company you know and trust, and 

one that is licensed under REAA 

(Real Estate Agents Authority). 

Give them an audition 

Once you have a shortlist of 

salespeople to consider, meet with 

them to show them around your 

home. This helps establish whether 

you have the right ‘chemistry’ 

with them. Ask yourself, can you 

imagine working with them? 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 

A 

growing economy 

supports more jobs 

and higher wages. 

It provides opportunities 

for families and pays for 

public services. 

That is why our economy 

remains front and centre 

of the National Party 

led Government’s Work 

Programme. 

We can proudly say that our 

plan is delivering results and 

that our country is in good 

shape. 

Businesses are confident 

and are investing; exports are 

up, tourism and construction 

sectors are booming, and interest 

rates are down. 

The outlook for economic 

growth remains solid with 

predicted enviable growth 

of 3% on average through to 

2020. 

High employment rate 

Growth matters because it 

creates more jobs and higher 

incomes for New Zealanders. 

Our economic programme is 

designed to achieve more jobs 

BUSINESSLINK 

Robust economy promotes 

strong growth 

and higher incomes. 

An extra 100,000 jobs have 

been created in the last year. 

The unemployment rate is 

down to 5.1% and falling across 

the country. 

Our employment rate – the 

proportion of all people 16 or 

older in work – is now the second 

highest in the OECD group 

of developed countries. This is a 

significant achievement. 

Kiwi families have more 

spending power. The average annual 

wage has increased 25% to 

$58,000 since 2008 – more than 

twice the rate of inflation. 

It is expected to reach almost 

$63,000 by 2020. 

Healthy combination 

A combination of rising wages, 

reduced taxes on income 

and savings, and low inflation 

has seen take-home pay increasing 

2.2% a year, four times 

15 

faster than under the previous 

government. 

The latest income and inequality 

data published by Social 

Development Ministry confirms 

this trend of incomes growing 

solidly in recent years, with 

slightly higher gains for low-income 

households. It also finds 

there is no evidence of increasing 

poverty, or children in material 

hardship. 

That is what a growing economy 

is delivering for New 

Zealanders. 

At the same time, as we have 

increased spending on core public 

services – health and education 

spending are today at record 

levels – we have increased support 

for the most-vulnerable 

New Zealanders. 

We have also balanced the 

Government’s books, and we are 

on track to repay debt. 

Greater prosperity ahead 

National will continue to focus 

on building a stronger, more 

prosperous New Zealand, with 

more jobs and higher incomes, 

and on helping families get 

ahead. 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi has 

been a Member of Parliament 

on National List since November 

2008. He is also Chairman 

of the Law & Order Select 

Committee of Parliament.

16 


BUSINESSLINK 

Shutters go down to open hearts for community work 

Ansuya Naidoo 

BNZ staff recently spent 

a valuable day providing 

translation services 

for the Henderson 

Lincoln Business Association 

as part of the Bank’s annual 

‘Closed for Good’ 

volunteering day. 

On August 31, 2016, all BNZ 

stores and offices were shut so 

that more than 3200 ‘BNZers’ 

could get out into the community 

to help on hundreds of projects 

around New Zealand. 

In Henderson (West 

Auckland), BNZ staff fluent 

in Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, 

Cantonese and Mandarin, spent 

the day as translators allowing 

the Association to forge direct 

connections with their linguistically 

diverse members. 

Meaningful engagement 

The team was accompanied 

by Constable Mandeep Kaur 

(Ethnic Communities Relations 

Officer at Waitemata Police 

District) and other members 

of the local Police to engage in 

meaningful conversations with 

business owners around crime 

and safety. 

Project Manager Robbie Ellis 

said that the project was enor- 

mously successful at a number 

of levels. 

The team visited more than 

200 businesses on the day 

and collected both contact information 

and data on issues 

Henderson businesses are 

facing. 

The Henderson Lincoln 

Business Association is now 

using the information collected 

to broaden its network as 

well as to understand where 

efforts should be focused for 

business owners who may 

not have English as a first 

language. 

“We found that local business 

owners were extremely 

happy that they could tap 

into the resources on offer 

now that the language barrier 

had been broken down. It 

was also enormously valuable 

for us, as it always is, to 

spend time in the community 

talking to people about the 

challenges they are dealing 

with. Being able to do this in 

peoples’ language of choice 

made it even more rewarding,” 

Robbie said. 

Community Projects 

This year more than 530 

community projects were 

completed on August 31, 

2016. 

BNZ Chief Executive 

Anthony Healy said that he 

was delighted with the projects 

in which the bank staff 

BNZ staff engaged in community work at Howick Historic Village on August 31. 

got involved and that the scale 

of the day was demonstrated in 

Auckland alone where BNZ staff 

worked on 181 projects. 

“Community organisations provide 

vital services in their local 

area and they are always 

stretched for resources. This is a 

small way in which we can leverage 

the scale of BNZ to help, by 

getting stuck in to maintenance 

or gardening, providing business 

guidance on marketing and 

budget plans to running financial 

literacy and scam savvy workshops,” 

he said. 

“All our people receive two volunteer 

days a year and embrace 

the chance to get out there and 

help across every sector of the 

community – from supporting local 

schools or their town Plunket 

group to helping with environmental 

clean-up efforts and running 

workshops at the Citizens 

Advice Bureau,” Mr Anthony 

said. 

Largest Single Day 

‘Closed for Good’ was first run 

in 2009. 

It is unquestionably the largest 

single day of corporate volunteering 

in New Zealand. Since its inception, 

BNZ staff have provided 

140,000 volunteer hours of time 

on over 2500 projects. 

They have also delivered hundreds 

of financial literacy workshops 

on money basics, general 

financial literacy or being scam 

savvy and more than 200 skilled 

projects where staff use expertise 

to help solve a problem or plan 

across areas such as human resources, 

finance, marketing, digital 

and social media strategy. 

It was a bold decision made 

seven years ago to shut the bank 

for the day. 

But volunteering is one of the 

unsung heroes of the economy 

and the bank knows that the 

groups asking for help are often 

the engine rooms of our communities 

and make a huge impact 

in New Zealanders lives. 

Ansuya Naidoo is Head of Indian 

Community Banking at BNZ, Title 

Sponsor, ‘Best Large Business’ and 

‘Supreme Business of the Year’ 

categories of the Indian Newslink 

Indian Business Awards 2016. BNZ 

was also the Title Sponsor of the 

Sixth Annual Indian Newslink Sir 

Anand Satyanand Lecture held on 

July 25, 2016. 

Indian Newslink Indian Business 

Awards Ceremony will be held on 

Monday, November 28, 2016 at Sky 

City Convention Centre, Auckland. 

Tickets priced at $150 plus GST 

and tables seating ten persons at 

$1500 plus GST per table are now 

available. Please call (09) 3910203 

or 021-836528; Email: editor@ 

indiannewslink.co.nz 

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BUSINESSLINK 

17 

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18 BUSINESSLINK 

With constant denial, we are fishing for trouble 

David Shearer 

In the eyes of the world, New 

Zealand is an unspoiled island 

paradise: rich in natural resources, 

peaceful and beautiful to 

boot. 

If we want to keep that reputation 

and more importantly stay a 

clean and lovely place to live, it’s 

going to take work. 

As we have seen this month 

with the drinking water crisis 

in Havelock North, we cannot 

expect to increase our industrial 

demands of our country’s land 

and waterways, and naively 

expect the environment to stay 

as clean and green as it’s always 

been. 

Illegal fishing 

The same is true of our seas. 

Since 2004, just 1% of 

prosecutions of illegal fishing 

were for fish dumping – where 

fish not the right size or species 

are tipped over the side; which 

tells me that either our fishing 

industry is incredibly honest, 

or the Government Ministry for 

Primary Industries (MPI) is not 

doing its job as it should and 

clamping down on illegal fishing. 

Unfortunately, it looks to be 

the latter. MPI prefers to look 

the other way and cosy up to the 

fishing industry. 

A study released in May this year, in 

collaboration with Oxford and Auckland 

universities, revealed that the number of 

fish caught in New Zealand waters has 

been under-reported for six decades. 

It estimates that the true catch is nearly 

three times official figures. 

It also showed systematic fish dumping 

and misreporting. 

Absurd lethargy 

If MPI was serious about protecting New 

Zealand’s fishery, it would have swung into 

action. Instead, the Government Minister 

for Primary Industries Nathan Guy criticised 

the report as being inaccurate. 

The problem for the Minister Guy was 

that a few days later a report was leaked 

from MPI itself, revealing that its own 

fisheries inspectors believe between 20- 

100 percent of some quota fish are being 

dumped during every haul. It went on to 

say that because MPI did not prosecute offenders 

it is encouraging further dumping 

and bad practices. 

MPI has refused to release the report, 

‘Operation Archilles.’ Clearly, it wants to 

hide how it refuses to prosecute fishing 

boats blatantly dumping fish. 

Political ploy 

Once again given the evidence MPI 

should swing into action against dumping. 

Instead, it went into a tailspin and announced 

it will conduct an inquiry into the 

fish dumping – that’s a well-used political 

ploy to put the issue on the backburner 

and cover it up. 

A company, Trident Systems, is contracted 

to conduct the survey. 

The only problem – Trident is 42% 

owned by Sanford and 27% owned by Moana 

Pacific Fisheries, both big commercial 

fishing enterprises. 

In other words, MPI has asked a 

company owned by the fishing industry 

to investigate wrong-doing in the fishing 

industry. How trustworthy or independent 

is that? 

Wrong pursuit 

Meanwhile, our fisheries inspectors 

are spending time pursuing recreational 

fishers, whose catch by comparison to the big 

operators is insignificant. 

The bulk of prosecutions are against recreational 

fishers. 

Even so, overall prosecutions against illegal 

fishing are one-quarter of what they were five 

years ago. 

This is not the first time New Zealand’s 

overfishing problem has hit the news headlines. 

Three years ago, when evidence of dumping 

was apparent, MPI reassured us that cameras 

and GPS equipment would be installed on 

commercial fishing vessels. 

Why hasn’t that happened? Most fishing boats 

still do not have camera surveillance on board. 

Gross incompetence 

I would have thought installing that sort of 

equipment is a reasonably simple thing to do. 

Cameras and GPS equipment are relatively 

inexpensive, they can be purchased easily, and 

are straightforward to install. 

Cameras were made compulsory in taxis, 

for example, and drivers were given just a few 

weeks to comply. 

Of course, where vessels are fitted with cameras, 

is anyone bothering to check the footage – or 

as we have seen pursuing prosecution? 

So why is it taking so long, why the procrastination, 

why the lack of action on a problem that 

is becoming acute day after day? 

Either its is extraordinary incompetence on 

the part of MPI and the government, or sadly 

it is looking like it could be something much 

worse. 

But as a country that prides ourselves on our 

care of the environment we deserve transparency, 

answers and above all, action. 

David Shearer is an elected Member of 

Parliament from Mt Albert in Auckland 

and Labour Party’s spokesman for Foreign 

Affairs. 

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BUSINESSLINK 

19 

Flour and taste enhance Taiwanese cuisine 

Venkat Raman 


New Zealand’s food 

importers will have an 

opportunity to consider 

a vast variety of food 

stuffs from Taiwan as a trade 

delegation visits Auckland next 

week. 

The Taiwan Food Trade 

Mission will be at Langham Hotel 

(83 Symonds Street) in Central 

Auckland from 10 am to 1 pm on 

Monday, September 19, 2016. 

The Trade Mission is being 

organised by the Bureau of 

External Trade of the Ministry of 

Economic Affairs of the Republic 

of China (Taiwan) in association 

with the Taiwan External Trade 

Development Council (TAITRA) 

and Taiwan Trade Centre, 

Sydney. 

Wide Variety 

The visiting companies 

will showcase a wide range 

of products including Rice & 

Cereals, Noodles, Frozen Seafood, 

Prepared Food, Preserved & 

Canned Food, Sauces & Dressings, 

Confectioneries, Drinks, and Tea 

varieties. 

According to the Taiwan 

Council of Agriculture, the 

country’s main export food 

sub-sectors (in value) include 

fish & fishery products, cereals 

& cereal products, and fruits & 

derived products. 

Taiwan Food Trade Mission to New Zealand ( Auuckland) 2016 

Date & Time: 19th of September 2016 (Monday) 10am - 1pm 

Venue: The Langham Auckland | Address: 83 Symond St, Grafton, Auckland 1010 

Free Admission 

The main import sub-sectors 

contain cereals & cereal products, 

oilseeds, and livestock & poultry 

products. 

The following is an extract from 

an article by Ratna Venkat that 

appeared in our December 1, 

2013 edition following her visit to 

Taiwan as a part of a Youth Camp. 

Global flavours 

As home to ethnic diversity, 

Taiwan has incorporated the essence 

and flavours of foods from 

all over the world and developed 

well-known food processing 

industries, ensuring consumers 

safe, quality, and healthy foods. 

Food in Taiwan is surprisingly 

diverse to satisfy all kinds of 

appetites, whether vegetarian, 

non-vegetarian or gluten-free. 

Being a vegetarian, I initially 

assumed that my food choices 

will be constrained, with little 

opportunity to indulge in pure 

meat-free Taiwanese cuisine. 

However, as we visited various 

restaurants, I was astounded by 

the range of vegetarian dishes on 

offer, some of which can only be 

experienced when in the country. 

Out of the 14 restaurants that 

we visited during our 10-day stay, 

Din Tai Fung, Hai Pa Wang and 

Silks Palace at National Palace 

Museum (Lunch) and Di Hokkaido 

Konbu Hot Pot, Du Hsiao Yueh, 

Lima Life Workshop and Jiufen 

(Dinner) were memorable. 

Unique and healthy 

From a vegetarian perspective, 

I exploited the types of food that 

are not heard in New Zealand: 

mushroom varieties such as Shiitake, 

Korean and Enoki, seaweed 

such as Kombu and Arame, and 

all kinds of tofu. 

These were prepared in ways 

that were unique to each restaurant, 

served either as a spicy hot 

pot as in Di Hokkaido Konbu Hot 

Pot or as a whole meal consisting 

of Taipei’s well-known ‘small 

individual dishes’ such as soups, 

braised vegetables, hot noodles 

and cool salads. 

For quintessential Taiwanese 

food however, Din Tai Fung is 

undoubtedly the best, voted by 

New York Times as one of the top 

ten restaurants in the world. 

Another version 

Lima Life Workshop is another 

restaurant that offers another 

version of Taiwanese cuisine, 

with a harmonious blend of 

Hakka and Aboriginal cultures. 

The dishes here too tasted as 

though they had been cooked in a 

Western way, with flavours being 

light and mild, and different to 

the Chinese aromatic dishes. 

While restaurants such as Din 

Tai Fung and Lima Life Workshop 

are highly recommended for 

first-time visitors to Taiwan, 

individual specialties of Taiwan’s 

food culture should not be overlooked. 

These include ‘Steamed 

Dumplings’ and ‘Shaved Mango 

Ice’ found in and around Taipei 

City, Jiufen’s famous ‘Taro Balls’, 

and Taichung’s flaky pastries 

known as ‘Sun Cakes’. Refreshing 

drinks such as ‘Pearl Milk Tea’, 

and the ‘Taiwan Beer,’ which was 

of brewing interest to some of our 

Camp members, are among the 

‘beverage icons’ of Taiwan! 

birthday 

specials 

Sept 

5th ~29th 

Chole 

Bhature 

masala/ 

plain 

dosa 

$7 

each 

Khoya 

Barfi 

all 

pedas 

(kesar, sada, 

mathura, laal) 

coconut 

barfi 

$25 

kg 

Pani Puri 

Papdi 

Chaat 

Dahi 

Bhalla 

samosa 

chaat 

Idli 

Sambar 

$5 

each


20 BUSINESSLINK 

Pocket Monsters poke fun and war 

Anand Mokashi 

Pokémon Go cometh. 

They appear unexpectedly. 

They are stealthy, 

quiet and merciless. 

They’re out in force day and 

night. They spare neither the 

young nor the old. 

They are everywhere, even in 

your home. 

Welcome to the Pokémon Go 

Universe! 

Pokémon is the portmanteau 

of ‘Pocket Monsters,’ and has 

been in existence in some form 

for more than two decades. 

Augmented Reality 

In this Augmented Reality, 

free-to-play mobile app game, 

digital monsters roam the real 

world, and the player’s task is 

to find, capture, and train them. 

Thereafter, the players can 

put them in battle against other 

players. Most of all, no previous 

Pokémon experience is needed 

to enjoy ‘Pokémon Go.’ 

Some of the most sought-after 

attackers go by the names 

of Lapras, Snorlax, Alakazam, 

Victreebel and Vaporeon. 

On the other hand, Slowbro, 

Dragonite, Exeggutor, Golduck 

and Clefable are popular 

defenders. 

Pokémon is out to get you! 

The game’s extended launch 

began on July 6, 2016, with 

releases in Australia, New 

Zealand, and the United States of 

America. 

Cash and Barter 

Though the game itself is 

free, players have the option 

to use real money to 

buy in-game currency called 

PokéCoins. (Between $0.99 for 

100 PokéCoins and up to $99.99 

for 14,500 PokéCoins). The 

PokéCoins are used to purchase 

Pokéballs, which are needed to 

catch Pokémon. 

If you do not want to spend 

real money, you pay in kind with 

your time and energy. 

The game works by using your 

phone’s GPS for your real-world 

location and augmented reality 

technology to bring up those 

cool-looking Pokémon on your 

screen, overlaid on top of what 

you see in front of you. 

If you are in the right place 

at the right time, wild Pokémon 

leap out at you, giving you a 

chance to catch them with a 

Pokéball. When you capture a 

Pokémon, it gets added to your 

Pokédex, a sort of Pokémon database, 

where you can personalise 

them later. You can then 

go to your local ‘gym’ and battle 

your Pokémon against other 

trainers (also real people). 

Fixed landmarks 

Also available are PokéStops. 

These are predetermined landmarks 

that players can interact 

with and get items from. 

Some of these items will further 

one’s ability as a trainer, or 

simply draw tons of other excited 

Pokémon Go players to the 

location. 

The principal appeal of 

‘Pokémon Go’ comes from its 

ease of playing. 

A smartphone- iPhone or 

Android and a strong Wi-Fi connection 

or cellular data are the 

only prime necessities. 

The game is reported to take 

up between two to eight megabytes 

of data per hour, depending 

on what you are doing. 

‘Pokémon Go’ will also drain the 

battery. 

While the game has its own 

‘battery saver’ mode, other 

things like lowering brightness 

and switching off Bluetooth will 

help. An external battery pack 

or portable charger will also 

help. 

Businesses have been quick to 

latch on to the game to attract 

customers. 

Travel brands and tourist 

spots are tuning into Pokestops 

to attract Pokemon-playing 

customers. 

John Findlay, Co-founder of 

‘Launchfire,’ many Museums, 

Airports, Hotels, Theme Parks 

and Art Galleries use ‘Pokemon 

Go’ to attract customers. 

Gecko Adventures (http:// 

www.geckosadventures.com/ 

en/pokemon-lets-go) has a specialist 

Pokémon Package, with 

which they take intrepid traveller 

to distant places to capture 

these elusive monsters. 

Inspired by the success of 

Pokémon, crowd-sourced 

‘Pokémon Go’ maps have 

sprung up to assist players in 

finding Pokémons. 

Anand Mokashi is an IT 

Lecturer, Consultant and 

Digital Media Specialist with 

a passion for all things online. 

He runs the Facebook group 

of Amateur astronomy lovers 

(https://www.facebook.com/ 

groups/ilavip/) and the website 

www.astronomyhuble. 

com. Email: anand_mokashi@ 

consultant.com


Employment-Poverty paradox 

continues to baffle 

Danielle van Dalen 

In New Zealand’s poverty debate, 

work is often touted as 

the silver bullet solution, the 

one thing that will solve all 

of our problems. 

“Get everyone able into work 

and we’ll be ok,” so the policy 

story goes. 

But the story is more complicated. 

Work matters, but it 

isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of 

solutions. 

Employment is, of course, a 

very good thing. Lack of employment 

has been identified as 

one of the leading risk factors of 

poverty and conversely, one of 

the strongest protective factors. 

Government focus 

This is why in recent years the 

government has been particularly 

focused on getting people 

off benefits and, hopefully, into 

work. While it’s one of the closest 

things to a silver bullet we 

have—there is no hard and fast 

rule. 

Lack of employment will not 

automatically result in poverty, 

and employment will not necessarily 

prevent someone from becoming 

homeless. We need to 

acknowledge the existence of inwork 

poverty, a daily reality for 

many New Zealanders. 

Traditionally, it is those relying 

on the social welfare system 

that come to mind when we 

think of New Zealanders struggling 

to get by. However, an 

OECD report claimed that “on 

average 7% of individuals living 

in households with at least one 

worker are poor in the OECD 

area.” 

For poor children in New 

Zealand, that number is around 

40%. Recent findings from 

Otago University also support 

this, suggesting that half of New 

Zealand’s homeless adults are 

either working or studying. 

Astonishing. 

Ends don’t meet 

It is important that unemployed 

people remain a major 

focus in the efforts to help New 

Zealanders living in poverty. 

We cannot, however, ignore 

the people struggling to get 

enough hours of work for a sufficient 

pay packet; we must not 

forget the sole-parent families 

where low paid, full-time work 

just is not enough to make sure 

the kids aren’t going to school 

hungry; and we should remember 

that the cost of childcare 

might erase any advantage fulltime 

employment brings a single 

mum. 

When the stories are this complicated 

a simple solution will 

not provide the answer. More 

jobs do not necessarily mean 

better jobs. Higher minimum 

wages might reduce in-work 

poverty but also increase out-ofwork 

poverty. More elaborate 

solutions are necessary if we are 

serious about the workless poor. 

Flexible employment 

The Government should continue 

to focus on getting people 

into work. 

However, this does not mean 

minimising of those people in 

work who are struggling to get 

by. We need a deeper understanding 

of what happens when 

people move off benefits and 

into work, what type of work 

they are moving into, whether it 

is stable or sufficient, and begin 

to find useful support structures 

for them. 

A good place to start could include 

a flexible employment 

structure that does not disadvantage 

single parents for moving 

into work, and support 

structures that assist people into 

sustainable employment. 

Just getting people into work 

is enough. 

The work must be sustainable 

and reliable, because it genuinely 

matters that families have 

enough to belong and participate 

in society. 

Danielle van Dalen is a Researcher 

at Maxim Institute 

based in Auckland. 

BUSINESSLINK 

Airport promotes Islamic 

Awareness 

Staff Reporter 

info@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Auckland Airport 

marked ‘Islamic 

Awareness Week’ 

last month. 

Many organisations 

throughout the country 

supported the programme 

held from August 22 to 

August 27, 2016. 

Auckland Airport General 

Manager (People & Safety) 

Anna Cassels-Brown said 

that her organisation was 

proud of the role it plays 

in bringing people together 

and is building strong 

relationships with international 

and local Muslim 

communities. 

“Countries with large 

Muslim populations like 

Indonesia, Malaysia and the 

Middle East are important 

emerging markets for New 

Zealand. We are welcoming 

increasing numbers of 

business and leisure travellers 

from these countries 

through our airport. We are 

also continuing to diversify 

our team to meet the needs 

of these and other customers,” 

she said. 

She said that Auckland 

Airport is also building local 

relationships with 

Zayed College for Girls and 

Al-Madinah School, two institutions 

located close to 

the Airport. 

“We were delighted 

to award Auckland 

Airport 50th Anniversary 

Scholarships to four teachers 

from Zayed College to 

support their professional 

development,” she said. 

21


22 COMMUNITYLINK 

Goddess Saraswathi propitiated with religious fervour 

Goddess Saraswathi after 

the Kumbhabhishekam on 

September 3 

Venkat Raman 


The installation 

ceremony of 

Goddess Saraswathi, 

known as 

‘Noothana Saraswathi 

Devi Kumbabishegam’ 

Slash Your 

was an intense religious 

and pious engagement 

at Thiru Subramaniyar 

Aalayam in Auckland last 

fortnight. 

The Goddess of 

Knowledge was installed 

with due honours at the 

Temple (located at 69, 

Tidal Road, Mangere) on 

Saturday, September 3, 

2016 by Temple Priests 

Maharajan, aka Manikandan 

(or Mani) and 

Ganapathy Subramaniam 

Karthik. 

Ilango Krishnamoorthy, 

President, New Zealand 

Hindu Temple Society, 

which owns and manages 

the Temple and his wife 

Sakthi led the ceremonies 

which began on August 

14 with daily prayers and 

other formalities associated 

with Kumbabishegam. 

Hundreds of people 

attended the prayer 

meetings, music sessions 

and other events which 

have endeared the Temple 

to the Hindu community 

across the country. 

Thiru Subramaniyar 

Aalayam is stated to be 

among the few in the 

world to have a statue of 

Goddess Saraswathi duly 

‘energised.’ 

The Dignitaries 

Auckland Mayoral 

candidate Phil Goff, 

With 

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Advice 

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Mangere Labour MP 

Su’a William Sio, former 

Labour MP for Manukau 

East Ross Robertson and 

current Deputy Chair of 

the Otara-Papatoetoe Local 

Board, former Labour List 

MP Dr Ashraf Chaudhary, 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan, 

Labour Policy Council 

Member and a number of 

the local board members 

and candidates were present 

at the main prayers. 

The programme included 

a special Bharata Natyam 

dance by Ratna Venkat 

invoking the blessings 

of Goddess Saraswathi, 

known to be associated 

with knowledge, music and 

arts. 

Hindus believe that 

appeasing Goddess Saraswathi 

is highly beneficial in 

countering Planet Mercury 

for removing problems 

in education and 

career. 

The River 

Exoticindia. 

com says that Goddess Saraswathi 

has priority over 

Om SaravanaBhava 

Thiru Subramaniyar Aalayam 

69 Tidal Road, Mangere Auckland, NewZealand 

Date Day Festival Time Events 

04.09.16 Sunday 

NoothanaSaraswathiDeviKumbabisegam, 

(Saraswathi Devi Installation)From10amto12pm. 45 days’ Mandala poojai starts 

from 5 th September 2016. Sponsors &performanceare welcome 

05.09.16 Monday Chathurthi 6.30pmto 

8pm 

07.09.16 Wednesday Shasti &Skandha Homam 6.30pmto 

8pm 

09.09.16 Friday Ashtami Poojai 6.30pmto 

8pm 

12.09.16 Monday Ekadashi -Sudharsana 6.30pmto 

Maha VishnuHomam 

8pm 

14.09.16 Wednesday Pradhosam&Sri Panjakchara 6.30pmto 

Homam 

8pm 

16.09.16 Friday Pournami Poojai 6.30pmto 

8pm 

17.09.16 Saturday 1 st of TamilMonth Poojai 

(Puratasi month) &Puratasi Sani 

20.09.16 Tuesday Maha Sangadahara Chaturthi& 

Sri Maha Ganapathi Homam 

21.09.16 Wednesday Shasti 6.30pmto 

8pm 

23.09.16 Friday Ashtami &kalabhiravar 

Homam 

Festival andEventsfor September2016 

10.00 am to 

11.30 am 

6.30pmto 

8pm 

6.30pmto 

8.30pm 

24.09.16 Saturday Navagraha ShanthiHomam & 

Puratasi Sani 

26.09.16 Monday Ekadasi 6.30pmto 

8pm 

Phil Goff and Priyanca Radhakrishnan at 

the Ceremony 

10.30 am to 

12.30 pm 

Mahadevi and Mahalakshmi, 

other two Deities of the Puranic 

Trio manifesting the Divine 

Female. 

“The Rig Veda seems to have a 

dual perception of Saraswathi, 

one as the Sacred River, and the 

other, as the Deity pervading all 

three worlds. They discovered 

that the Goddess had a parallel 

in Iranian River Haraihvati, 

which in contemporary Iranian 

rituals and literature was similarly 

lauded for being benign, 

humid, heroic, and immaculate. 

Lord Vinayagar Abisegam and 

Arathanai 

Lord Subramaniyar Abisegam and 

Arathanai 

Lord Muneeshwar,Lord Kala 

Bhairavarand LordMadurai 

Veeran Abisegam andArathanai 

Lord Vishnu Abisegam and 

Arathanai 

Lord Siva Abisegam andArathanai 

AmbalTamilarasi Nayagi 

Abisegam andArathanai 

Lord Ayyappan &Lord Vishnu 


Lord Vinayakar Abisegam and 

Arathanai 

Lord Subramaniyar Abisegam and 

Arathanai 

Lord Vishnu&Lord 

kalabhairavar Abisegam and 

Arathanai 

Navagraha Moorthies&Lord 

Vishnu Abisegam andArathanai 

Lord Vishnu &Lord Hanuman 


28.09.16 Wednesday Pradhosam&Sri Panjakchara 6.30pmto Lord Siva Abisegam andArathanai 

Homam 

8pm 

If you have anyqueries,feelfreetocontact Rajkumar Velu – 022 1873807 

Ilango and Sakthi Krishnamoorthy participating in the Prayers 

The scholars argue that the term 

‘Saraswathi,’ a combination of 

‘Sara’ or ‘Svara’, meaning ‘to go’, 

and ‘Swathi’, meaning ‘tending’ 

or ‘inclining’, that is, one that has 

the tendency of going or moving, 

is more characteristic of a River.” 

The scholars quoted as 

examples Sarayu, Saranyu, Sarita 

and Sansara; first two being the 

names of two Rivers, third, a 

River in general, and fourth, the 

Transient World. 

They however concede that 

the Rig-Vedic Saraswathi, with 

Her origin in Heaven, could 

have been a celestial flood, not a 

terrestrial stream. 

Invoked by sages to redeem 

them from drought it descended 

on the earth across vast 

aerial region pervading it, 

and hence its all-pervasive 

character. 

“In similar vein, the 

scholars interpret Saraswathi’s 

other Rig-Vedic attributions. Her 

long arms by which Saraswati 

carves her path are interpreted 

as her long banks through which 

she had her course. To them, 

Saraswathi’s form as the deity is 

a mere apotheosis of the river of 

that name. 

We have pleasure in inviting all 

devotees andfriends to take partin 

allAbishegam andreceive the 

blessingsofLordGanesha, 

Murugan Valli Deivayanai,Siva 

Meenakshi, Venkatachalapathy, 

Hanuman, Kalabhairavar, 

Ayyappan,Navagrahas. 

Please bringfresh flowers,milk, 

honey,yoghurt, chandan, 

Viboothi forthe Abishegamand a 

greatopportunity to participatein 

allevents. Please bring aplate to 

sharewithothersfor prasadam 

afterabishegamand pooja.


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7/09/16 3:30 PM



Ganesha ‘At Home’ invokes piety and festive spirit 

Venkat Raman 


For millions of Hindus 

all over the world, Lord 

Ganesha is an epitome of 

love, respect, friendship, 

admiration and adoration. He is 

an important member of every 

family and is the first Lord of 

Prayer. 

Vedic scriptures describe Lord 

Ganesha as the Most Merciful 

of Gods and hence, prayers are 

offered before the start of any 

venture. Similarly, all prayers 

– at home, at temples and at 

other social and community 

gatherings, begin with obeisance 

to this God, the first son of Lord 

Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. 

Ganesh Chaturthi, marking 

the Birthday of Lord Ganesha 

is celebrated by Hindus everywhere. 

This year’s celebration 

was held on Monday, September 

5, 2016. 

While Temples and social 

groups performed special 

Poojas on that day, Ganesh 

Chaturthi was also marked by 

thousands of people in their 

homes throughout New Zealand. 

Each evening witnessed visits 

by relatives and friends, which, 

apart from the religious aspect, 

also served to foster goodwill 

and understanding. 

The Pooja 

Writing in Indian Newslink 

September 15, 2015 issue, Sai 

Bedekar, one of our photographers, 

had said that Ganesh 

Pooja involves the ‘Panchamrut’ 

Myopia can be seen as the root of delinquency 

According to former Principal 

Youth Court judge Andrew 

Becroft, the top 20% of youth 

offenders come from seriously 

deprived backgrounds with 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

fathers who might be in prison 

and mothers who have 

trouble monitoring links with 

education. 

In the United Kingdom, 23% 

to 32% of Youth Court attendees 

have learning disabilities compared 

to 2% to 4% of the general 

population. 

There is significant research 

on the correlation between 

learning disabilities and juvenile 

delinquency. 

There is evidence to suggest 

that children with undiagnosed 

vision problems are often mistakenly 

branded as delinquents. 

It may not then be a complete 

leap of logic to wonder whether 

undiagnosed vision problems 

may lead to low educational 

achievements, perceived delinquency 

and sooner rather than 

later, actual delinquency. 

I 

started wearing glasses at 

the age of seven. 

My first pair, lovingly 

chosen by my mother, was 

baby pink and incredibly thick. 

I was delighted at the prospect 

of wearing glasses – such a 

grown-up thing to do. 

My mother was significantly 

less excited that her child was 

so severely shortsighted at a 

very young age. 

She asked me why I had not 

mentioned to her or to my 

teacher that I was struggling 

to see people and objects. I remember 

telling her that I just 

thought that vision loss was a 

part of growing up; because, after 

all, my parents and all my 

grandparents wore glasses! 

Although I had been struggling 

to read what was on the 

blackboard, it did not occur to 

me to mention it to anyone or 

ask for help. 

It was only through the routine 

school eye-screening programme 

that everyone realised 

that I was quite shortsighted. 

Anecdotal evidence 

Anecdotal evidence indicates 

that there are a number of children 

in New Zealand who are 

possibly going through what I 

did, and are not telling anyone 

that they are struggling to see 

or read. 

Many are finding it hard to 

achieve at school because they 

have eyesight problems. 

Lord Ganesha in 

Temple Architecture 

or ‘five nectars,’ including milk, 

curd, ghee, honey and jaggery, 

with which the idol is bathed. He 

is then soiled with sandal paste 

and cleaned with water. 

“The Lord is then adorned by 

a red cloth called, ‘Vastra’ and 

the sacred thread. He is offered 

red flowers, ‘durva’ (grass), red 

hibiscus and food and smeared 

with ‘kumkum.’ A lamp is lit and 

Pooja bells ring while reciting 

Aarti. The main sweet-dish presented 

as ‘nevedya’ through this 

period is Modakas (Modagams 

in South India) and Karanjis. A 

Modaka is like a dumpling made 

from rice flour with a stuffing of 

fresh coconut, jaggery and dry 

fruits and is either steam-cooked 

or fried. Karanjis are half-moon 

shaped and taste like modakas. 

On the last day, following the 

Pooja, rice grains are placed on 

the head of the idol. 

At sunset, the idol is immersed 

in a well or a river, with the 

recitation of ‘Ganapati Bappa 

Moraya, Pudchya Varshi Lawkar 

Ya,’ inviting Him to return next 

year.” 

Auspicious Day 

Ganesh Chaturthi is observed 

Essilor Vision Foundation 

The Essilor Vision Foundation 

has been offering free vision 

testing to children in low decile 

schools for over a year. 

Since the pilot programme at a 

Hawke’s Bay decile one school 

in 2015, the Foundation has 

tested about 600 children from 

low decile Auckland schools 

and found that more than one 

in seven need glasses. 

The Foundation also offers 

free testing and free glasses 

for children under 16 years. 

According to Kumuda Setty, 

a Trustee of the Foundation, 

these statistics are similar 

to statistics in developing 

countries. 

This raises concerns that 

thousands of other school children 

could be living with undiagnosed 

eyesight conditions. 

It is a worry because there is 

a clear link between vision and 

academic achievement. 

International research indicates 

that about 80% of children’s 

learning is visual. 

On September 3, 2016, the 

Foundation partnered with 

the New Zealand Kannada 

Koota (an association for people 

from the South Indian State 

Chinmay, Shekhar, Vidya and Shruti Teke at 

their Home 

on the fourth day of the bright 

fortnight of Bhadrapada and is 

observed by devoted Hindus all 

over the world from two to 11 

days. 

Maharashtrians, like their 

Hindu compatriots worldwide, 

induct their children into 

learning with ‘Om Sri Ganeshaya 

Namaha.’ 

Several Names 

Ganesha is known by a variety 

of names including Aumkara, 

Balachandra, Dhoomraketu, Ekadantha, 

Gajakarnaka, Gajanana, 

Heramba, Kapila, Lambodara, 

Siddhivinayaka, Skandapurvaja, 

Sumukha, Surpakarna, Vakratunda, 

Vignaraja, Vigneshwara and 

Vinayaka. He is also known by 

many as Maha-Ganapathi. 

There are also public celebrations 

called ‘Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav’ 

of this festival in various 

parts of cities, with the local 

communities (mandals) with 

contributions from residents. It is 

common for groups to compete 

in creating the biggest and best 

idol and in presenting cultural 

programmes after dusk. 

Radical nationalist Bal Gangadhar 

Tilak organised Ganesh 

of Karnataka) to pilot a community 

vision-screening programme. 

Ninety Kannada Koota 

members were screened in the 

first screening offered to adult 

migrants. 

Strategic partnership 

I attended this screening on 

behalf of Louisa Wall, Labour 

MP for Manurewa and Patron 

of the Foundation. It was a 

privilege to learn more about 

the partnership between the 

Foundation and Kannada 

Koota, the support from optometrists 

like Campbell 

and Campbell and final year 

Optometry students from 

Auckland University who were 

also supporting the initiative. 

I learned about some of the 

barriers to accessing eyesight 

testing. 

Cost is an obvious one, and 

as income inequality increases, 

parents are often forced to 

work two or even three jobs 

to make ends meet. There is 

no time to take the children to 

have their eyes tested! 

Barriers to testing 

Lack of awareness of the 

need for vision screening is another 

barrier. 

Many migrants wait till their 

Abhay and Varsha Dhoke marking Ganesh 

Chaturthi in their new house in Melbourne 

Utsav in 1893 and since then, the 

festival is held throughout Maharashtra, 

evincing widespread 

community interest. 

Shekhar & Vidya Teke 

Popular musician, teacher and 

performer Vidya Teke (who hails 

from Maharashtra) celebrated 

Ganesh Chaturthi this year with 

a theme at her Mt Roskill home 

in Auckland. 

“Our emphasis this year was 

‘Save the Environment and 

Mother Earth.’ We had installed 

an eco-friendly idol of Lord 

Ganesha in our home. We do 

not intend to immerse the idol 

(‘Visarjan’ Ceremony) in the sea. 

We will place the idol of our favourite 

God in a pot full of water 

in our home garden. Thereafter, 

we will use that water to nourish 

plants,” she said. 

Abhay & Varsha Dhoke 

Ganesh Chaturthi was ‘very 

special’ for former New Zealanders 

Abhay and Varsha Dhoke 

(Maharashtrians) who now 

reside in Melbourne, Australia. 

They marked the Ceremony with 

great piety on September 5 in 

their new home. 

“We feel extremely blessed to 

annual visit back home to get 

their eyes and teeth checked. 

I relate to this because I fall 

squarely into that category! 

Quality of healthcare in 

India can be compared to New 

Zealand standards, and is much 

cheaper. However, conditions 

are very different between the 

two countries, such that the 

lenses you get there may not 

protect your eyes from specific 

New Zealand conditions. For 

example, Ultraviolet intensities 

in the New Zealand summer 

are extreme on the international 

UV Index scale. 

So, while it is cheaper to buy 

your glasses in India, you may 

not be getting the protection 

you need in New Zealand. 

There was also talk of stigma 

attached to wearing glasses 

and parents not wanting to acknowledge 

that their children 

may be shortsighted. 

Here’s the thing – it’s not optional. 

If your child cannot see 

properly, it is likely to affect his 

or her educational achievement 

and potentially, even impact later 

in life. 

Young Offenders 

Let us consider the issue of 

youth offending. 

V S Srinivas and Chithkala in their Balmoral Home 

have completed construction of 

our new home according to our 

requirements and perform the 

‘Grahapravesh’ (Opening) Ceremony 

three days earlier. Many 

colleagues and friends visited 

our home on Ganesh Chaturthi 

and the following days,” Mr 

Dhoke said. 

V S Srinivas & Chithkala 

It has been a significant year 

for V S Srinivas and his wife 

Chithkala, who hail from the 

Princely city of Mysore, which 

was once the capital of Karnataka. 

While he pursues his career 

as an Immigration Administrator 

at a law firm, she is a software 

specialist at a commercial 

organisation. 

They performed ‘Ganapathi 

Pooja’ in the presence of a number 

of colleagues and friends at 

their Balmoral home on Monday, 

September 5. 

“It has been a special 

experience. I learnt a lot about 

the Hindu religion and the importance 

of the Ganesh Festival,” 

Aaron Martin, his colleague and 

Immigration Law Practitioner 

at Turner Hopkins Barristers, 

Solicitors and Notary Public, said. 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan is a 

voracious reader, champions 

social and community causes 

and is a strong advocate of 

ethnic and gender diversity in 

corporate governance and in 

public life. She is a Member of 

the Labour Party Policy Council 

and lives in Auckland. 

If your community organisation 

is doing something 

interesting and you would 

like her to visit, please write 

to priyanca02@gmail.com


Model of the Fortnight 

COMMUNITYLINK 

25 

Flying high and catwalk are a part of Karma 

Challenges and hard work 

do not deter Riddhi 

Dhakecha, our Model of 

the Fortnight, for these 

provide a fillip to her ambition 

and drive. 

“I strongly believe in Karma 

as advocated by Lord Krishna. 

Humans will be identified and 

known by their work (Karma) 

not by the family of their birth. I 

want to keep trying; hard work 

and confidence motivate me,” she 

said. 

From Judo and Mountaineering 

that she experienced during her 

college day, Riddhi is now being 

trained as a pilot in Dargaville. 

However, her Plan B is to become 

a model. 

Arriving in New Zealand 

from her native India to pursue 

higher education in Business 

Management, Riddhi began 

modelling and instantly loved 

everything that came with it – 

ramps, photoshoots, promotions 

and applauding audiences. 

“I participated in Miss Indianz 

last year. It was a great experience,” 

she said. 

Career ambition 

Riddhi likes to give her best to 

achieve goals in life and career. 

“I know that nothing is easy in 

life; but nothing deters me and 

nothing stops me from doing my 

best. I want to be a Supermodel. 

I want to be always proud of my 

achievements,” Riddhi said. 

-Venkat Raman 

If you would like to be featured 

as our Model of the Fortnight, 

please contact us on (09) 3910203. 

Email: editor@indiannewslink. 

co.nz 

Young Agarwals prepare for Agrasen Jayanti 

Poojya Maharaja Agrasen Members at Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti’ 2015 



The Agarwal community 

in Auckland would mark 

the ‘Maharaja Agrasen 

Jayanti’ on Saturday, 

September 24, 2016 at 530 pm 

at Royal Oak Primary School, 

Royal Oak. 

Agarwal Association of New 

Zealand is organising the event, 

entry to which is by tickets 

priced at $15 (children under 12 

will be admitted free). 

This year’s programme, organised 

by the Youth Wing, will 

comprise cultural performances, 

a Quiz, Karaoke and dancing. 

Fostering values 

Executive Committee Member 

Sandeep Agarwal said that since 

its inception nine years ago, the 

Association has grown from 

strength to strength. 

“As well as observing festivals 

such as Holi and ‘Maharaja 

Agrasen Jayanti,’ the Association 

aims to foster values among the 

youth and build a stronger community. 

We organise meetings 

and events for families and children. 

The Agarwal Association 

of New Zealand believes in volunteering 

and in serving the 

community,” he said. 

Mr Agarwal said that among 

the annual events of the 

Association are Tree Plantation 

at Friends of Oakly Creek, 

Donation of blood, clothes, 

flood and Christmas gifts to the 

Auckland City Mission. 

The not-for-profit association 

aims to promote the cultural, 

social, spiritual and economic 

interests of the Agarwal community, 

which accounts for about 

200 families throughout the 

country. 

Supporting youth 

Mr Agarwal said that 

Association President Ambrish 

Gupta and Women’s Wing 

President Sudesh Mittal are 

committed to their roles and 

aim to bring about a positive 

change among the youth. 

“The Maharaja Agrasen 

Jayanti is in essence homage to 

the ‘Family God’ that has been 

an icon of peace, non-violence 

and harmony for 5140 years. 

The Maharaja was an epitome 

of sacrifice and compassion and 

a true socialist. He practiced 

and preached equality of rights 

and opportunities for all,” Mr 

Agarwal said. 

“Activities on this day are 

marked by social welfare activities 

such as food distribution, 

free medical camps and cultural 

events to spread the message of 

equality and brotherhood, following 

the footsteps of the great 

King,” he added. 

What: Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti 

Where: Royal Oak Primary School, Chandler Avenue 

Royal Oak, Auckland 

When: Saturday, September 24 at 530 pm 

Tickets: $15 per person children below 12 free 

Contact: Krishna Gupta on 021-02735285 

Laveena Aggarwal on 021-0672376) 

Email: agarwal_nz@yahoo.co.nz



Lord Ram consoles his father Dasharath | Lord Hanuman meets Sita at Ashok Vatika | The great war of words and swords | Lord Ram with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman at his Coronation 

Cultural connection energises Chinmaya Youth 

Aman Pillay 

The Chinmaya Yuva 

Kendra (CHYK) is the 

global Youth Wing of the 

Chinmaya Mission. 

Working under the motto, 

‘Harnessing Youth Potential 

through Dynamic Spirituality,’ 

CHYK aims to empower youth 

with the vision, values and 

vigour to achieve success in all 

fields. 

Youth is a stage in a life that 

comes with its unique struggles 

and challenges. 

It can be a period of intense 

questioning and self-doubt. 

In that respect, the values of 

Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda 

and the vision of CHYK 

continue to guide us today. 

Optimising Energy 

“Youth is a stage in human 

development when the personality 

is bursting with energy, 

enthusiasm and dynamism. This 

is also a phase in life when receptivity 

and retentivity are at the 

optimum. What they require is a 

clear vision of a goal in life and 

exercises for the cultivation of 

the right values of life to enable 

them to mould their personality 

and harness their inner resources 

along constructive channels. 

This systematic preparation 

alone can equip the youth to 

face the challenges of life with a 

smile.” 

These values are enforced in 

practice through weekly classes 

where youth study Hindu scriptures 

delivered in English. 

Scriptures like Ramayana, 

Mahabharata, Upanishads and 

Bhagavad Gita belong to individuals 

at all ages; the only barrier 

is the platform to learn. 

Under the guidance of resident 

monk Swami Atulananda Ji, 

youth are encouraged to test the 

logic of the scriptures themselves 

through applied practice. 

It allows youth to connect with 

the teachings of Vedanta at a 

personal level thereby allowing 

them to live with those teachings. 

Youth at one point or another 

face the dilemma of Arjuna on 

the battlefield, by understanding 

themselves, with the wisdom of 

the sages, youth can overcome 

any obstacle. 

Cultural Connection 

On another level, CHYK helps 

youth connect with Hindu 

culture. 

This serves an important 

aspect in helping youths develop 

their sense of identity and 

preserving the Hindu heritage 

for future generations. 

In conjunction with this, youth 

participate in local and global 

camps. 

Some previous topics for local 

camps were the Logic of Spirituality 

and the Fourteen Spiritual 

Laws of Success. 

With knowledge enshrined 

in Vedanta, these camps help 

provide a holistic vision for 

youth to develop a higher vision 

or goal for themselves. 

It helps develop deeper 

thinking and facilitates the path 

to self-knowledge. 

Through these practices, youth 

are reminded of their unbound 

potential through simple application 

of spirituality in everyday 

life. 

Question and seek 

CHYK operates not unlike a 

family. Here youth find connection 

and a sense of belonging. 

The Chinmaya Mission 

participates in various activities 

throughout the year and the 

youth are called upon to serve. 

Here CHYKs can enhance 

their skills and even take on 

leadership roles. 

Though sometimes challenging 

it facilitates the all-round 

development of the individual. 

Through service and learning 

the mind is purified and life is 

transformed. 

As Swami Chinmayananda 

said, “The youth are not useless 

and careless. They are used less 

and cared less.” 

The CHYK thus gives youth 

a forum to use their power 

to question (the scriptures) 

by which they find direction 

(through the ancient wisdom and 

sublime philosophy), nay it also 

gives them the necessary avenue 

to share their love and care for 

each other as they become one 

family through their journey and 

growth. 

This is why youth cherish 

CHYK as they face their challenges 

in life. 

Editor’s Note: The pictures 

appearing with the above 

article are scenes from 

‘Ramayan: A Legend Relived,’ 

a dance and dialogue 

production scheduled to be 

staged from September 30 

to October 2, 2016 at Bruce 

Ritchie Performing Arts 

Centre, Massey High School, 

274, Don Buck Road, Massey 

West. For further details, 

please see the advertisement 

in this Section.


ARTLINK-Ratna Venkat 

27 

Lata Mangeshkar inspires local talent to shine 

Lata Mangeshkar inspiration-Vidya Teke 

Ratna Venkat 

ratna@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Tickets are selling fast 

for Aarohi Academy 

of Music’s much 

awaited programme, 

‘Khamoshiyaan Gun Gunane 

Lagi,’ the third Live-in-Concert 

tribute to Hindi Cinema’s music 

legend Lata Mangeshkar and 

her evergreen songs. 

The programme is scheduled 

to commence at 630 pm 

on Saturday, September 24 

at Dorothy Winstone Centre, 

Auckland Girls’ Grammar 

School. 

Hindustani musician and 

Director of her Mt Roskill-based 

Academy, Vidya Teke, is understandably 

excited as the date 

draws near for her and her 

team to stage another quality 

concert that Aucklanders can 

enjoy. 

“Besides selecting 30 songs 

from Lata Ji’s collection of more 

than 25,000, our show highlights 

an element of surprise 

each year,” Vidya told Indian 

Newslink. 

Surprise assured 

Surprises in their former 

concerts included ‘Unplugged’ 

(2014), in which certain songs 

were not time bound, and 

‘Language Medley’ (2015), a 

medley of three songs rendered 

in as many languages, including 

Marathi, Malayalam and 

Gujarati. 

Vidya assures of another surprise 

at this year’s programme. 

Vidya’s husband Shekhar 

Babanrao Teke has been the 

Organiser and Event Manager of 

the Academy’s Live-in-Concert 

series. He has also been involved 

in the selection of Lata’s 

songs each time. 

Aarohi Academy of Music Presents 

Khamoshiyaan Gun Gunane Lagi 

Live-in-Concert Tribute to Lata Mangeshkar 

Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls’ Grammer School, 16 Howe St, Auckland 

September 24, 2016 at 6:30pm Tickets: $20 per person 

For group bookings and more information, please call Shekhar Babanrao Teke on 021-02736054 

Email: aarohimusic.nz@gmail.com 

Vidya credits her husband for 

realising her dreams and successfully 

implementing the Livein-Concert 

programme year 

after year. 

“We never repeat the songs 

that were sung before at our 

previous shows, making Lata Ji’s 

fans and admirers eager to expect 

the unexpected,” she said. 

Inspired fascination 

Vidya’s fascination for Lata 

began during her childhood. 

Lata became a source of inspiration 

with her dedication of life 

to music (Hindustani Classical, 

Semi-Classical and Light). Her 

technical perfection and ability 

to bring ‘bhav’ (emotion) into 

her songs are a combination 

rarely seen in today’s generation 

of singers. 

Vidya is committed to showcasing 

Lata’s songs and emulating 

her passion and dedication 

through ‘Aarohi Academy of 

Music’ and annual concerts ded- 

Vidya Teke with the supporting artistes 

icated to one of the greatest artistes 

of our time. 

During the rehearsals, students 

of the Academy and other 

well-known singers participating 

in ‘Khamoshiyaan Gun 

Gunane Lagi 3’ are encouraged 

to render songs in their individual 

styles and allow their emotions 

to ‘shine through,’ at the 

same time rendering justice to 

the original. 

Supporting artistes 

The supporting live orchestra 

will comprise Hemant Thaker 

(Keyboard), Joscel Alexander 

(Acoustic Drums), Joseph 

Alexander (Octopad), Monitosh 

Thaker (Guitar), Navneel Prasad 

(Tabla), Rezwan Ashraf (Guitar) 

and Shivam Padayachi (Bass 

Guitar). 

Tickets to the Concert, 

priced at $20 per person, 

are available at Yogiji’s Food 

Mart, Lotus Supermarket (Mt 

Roskill), Khyber Spice (Royal 

Oak), The Chef (Epsom) and 

Saatveek Vegetarian Restaurant 

(Sandringham). 

Pictures by Meghna Muralimohan 

“We never repeat the songs that were sung before at our previous shows, making Lata Ji’s fans and admirers eager to expect the unexpected.”


28 ARTLINK-Ratna Venkat 

Peel off the dead skin and feel the difference 

SHINE FOREVER 

with Ronita 

New Zealanders, who 

have a passion for proper 

skincare will be 

happy to know a revolutionary 

product is now available 

at our clinic. 

‘Green Peel,’ a new process 

developed by Dr Christine 

Schrammek of Germany, is reported 

to stimulate the human 

skin and keep it healthy and 

glowing. 

Free of chemicals, ‘Green Peel’ 

is said to assure vitality and regeneration 

of the skin without 

harsh peeling effect. 

I tell my clients, “You will have 

new skin in just five days, as 

this product peels all your dead 

The skin is the most beautiful thing we wear; keep it that way 

skin away.’ Green Peel’ is a 

professional treatment method 

for optimising the structure 

of the skin. This process 

can be carried out only by specially 

trained doctors and 

cosmeticians. 

‘Green Peel’ contains only 

plant-based active ingredient 

complexes. Its formula does not 

have any harmful chemicals or 

synthetic abrasives. 

The original ‘Green Peel’ can 

be used on the face and some 

parts of the body. 

Face it well 

On the face, the peeling treatment 

serves to (a) prevent 

harmful effects (b) correct UVrelated, 

premature skin aging 

(c) improve the skin structure 

and tone (d) help impure skin 

and mild acne (e) reduce scars 

from acne and injuries and (f) 

reduce hyperpigmentation 

Good body cure 

On the body, ‘Green Peel’ 

helps reduce stretch marks 

caused by pregnancy, weight 

gain as well as loss of elasticity. 

It offers effective solutions 

for healthy and natural skin fitness 

– as a spa treatment. There 

are individual concepts tailored 

to the needs of every skin type 

and for all age groups 

The Treatment 

As with every type of treatment, 

I would carry out a thorough 

skin analysis. 

I will discuss the problems 

and challenges with clients on a 

person-to-person basis and ensure 

that the skin is well prepared 

for treatment. 

Clients opting for ‘Green Peel’ 

treatment would receive application 

of the specially developed 

ingredient and a gentle 

message which may take up to 

ten minutes. 

The result is a gentle peeling 

of the outer layer of the skin, 

thanks to the micro particles of 

the herbs (epiderm abrasion). 

This increases the metabolism 

and the supply of oxygen 

and nutrients. The growth zone 

of the skin is stimulated to produce 

new cells. 

I also caution my clients that 

in some cases, ‘Green Peel’ treatment 

can create a slight reddishness 

on some skins. Those 

with a sensitive skin may feel 

a light burning sensation. 

Depending on the individual 

treatment and type, the skin 

would begin to peel between 

three or four days after the 

treatment. This can vary from 

slight flakiness to clearly visible 

peeling. 

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 

Tempo Dance 

Festival features 

Dunedin artiste 

Dance of Love in Bharata Natyam style 

Sringaram, the Dance of Love 

Technical 

Virtuosity of 

Bharata Natyam 

Swaroopa strikes a pose 



Dunedin based Indian 

Classical Dance teacher 

and performer Swaroopa 

Unni is scheduled 

to appear at the Tempo 

Dance Festival in Auckland next 

month. 

Her performances, titled, 

‘Sringaram’ (Romantic Love) 

will be held on Thursday, 

October 6 at 730 pm and on 

Saturday, October 8 at 630 pm at 

the Loft at Q Theatre on Queen 

Street, Central Business District. 

She will also conduct a 

workshop on October 8 at 

Wellesley Studios, 113 Wellesley 

Street, Auckland City. To 

register, please email tempo. 

workshops@gmail.com 

Artistic Journey 

Swaroopa calls ‘Sringaram’ as 

‘Dance of Love,’ which has had 

successful runs at the Fringe 

Festivals of Dunedin and New 

Zealand and at the Body Festival 

in Christchurch. 

Swaroopa said that the ‘Dance 

of Love’ is a journey through 

some of the masterpieces of 

Indian fine arts. 

She has researched, choreographed 

and performed this solo 

dance theatre with additional 

music by India’s Sandeep Pillai. 

Following the performance on 

October 6, she will present an 

artist talk. 

Back in Time 

Swaroopa said that Bharata 

Natyam is often praised for 

its technical virtuosity and 

expressions that emphasise 

the devotional aspect of the 

characters. 

“Less known and least 

explored are dances that delved 

into different emotions of love. 

Padams and Javalis (short 

music compositions) performed 

by ‘devadasis’ – the dancing 

women of India – were mostly 

about love, longing, desire and 

eroticism. It reflected their lives 

as courtesans and salon dancers 

who were an important part 

of society in the early 19th and 

20th century,” she said.


ARTLINK-Ratna Venkat 

Bharata Natyam and Kathak concert in Wellington 

Students performing a Kathak number 



Classical Dance institute in 

Wellington with classes held 

in Johnsonville, Petone and 

Miramar. It prides itself of a syllabus 

and an examination system 

with certificates and mark 

sheets, for each of the dance 

forms taught. The Academy follows 

a skill-based system under 

which students are categorised 

by their skill level rather than 

their duration as a student,” Ms 

Basu said. 

About Kathak 

Kathak is a classical dance 

form that traces its origins 

to the nomadic bards of ancient 

Northern India, known as 

Kathakars or storytellers, primarily 

as a means of portraying 

the epic tales. 

It absorbed traces of temple 

and ritual dances, the influence 

of the Bhakti Movement and 

certain features of Persian and 

29 

Central Asian dances imported 

by the Royal Courts of the 

Mughal era. 

Out of three major schools 

or Gharanas of Kathak, Mayur 

Dance Academy specialises 

in the Jaipur Gharana, which 

was born in the courts of the 

Kachwaha Rajput Kings. 

Tickets on Sale 

Tickets priced at $45 (Family 

with two adults and two children 

up to the age of 12), $20 

(Adults), $15 (Children between 

5 and 12 years) are on sale. 

Free entry for children below 

five years of age. Website www. 

mayur-dance.co.nz, through the 

link Production 2016. 

Further details can be obtained 

from Suparna Basu on 

021-1431341. 

Email: suparna.basu2010@ 

gmail.com 

Suparna Basu 

Lovers of Indian classical 

dances in Wellington 

will enjoy a double treat 

as ‘Nritya Sandha,’ a 

programme of Bharata Natyam 

and Kathak gets to the stage at 

530 pm on October 1, 2016. 

Suparna Basu, Founder and 

Director of the Academy said 

that such programmes evince 

widespread interest. 

Double Opportunity 

“The forthcoming programme 

will be an opportunity 

not only for the students to 

demonstrate their skills, but 

also for the capital to witness 

an impressive blend of graceful 

moves, beautiful costumes, 

foot-tapping rhythm and lilting 

music, in a visual and auditory 

feast. Our programmes are 

creatively choreographed with 

lighting and special effects, 

well-knit structure, smooth 

flow and artful combination of 

the traditional and modern,” 

she said. 

Growing Students 

“The Academy started with 

11 children in 2012 and has 

grown to be a major Indian 

. Bharata Natyam students of the Mayur Dance Academy (Pictures by Ashutosh Mohanthy 

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30 entertainmentlink 

Talent grows with beauty 

and culture at annual event 

New friends, new experiences Understanding and goodwill grow A large family created year after year 

MISS 

INDIANZ 

Saturday, 

September 17, 2016 

at 730 pm 

Aotea Centre, 

Auckland 

Tickets from 

August 1, 2016 

www.aucklandlive. 

com 

Now in its 

14th year 

Venkat Raman 


An event that has continuously 

enthralled 

a cross-section of the 

society encouraging 

young women to vie for a title 

that has gained prestige around 

the world has to be a force to 

reckon with in this cosmopolitan 

country. 

Dharmesh Parekh launched 

a beauty pageant 14 years ago 

exclusively for young women 

of Indian origin (or with a 

lineage that can be traced to 

India) and has, year after year, 

brought fame and pride to the 

community. 

The winners and runners-up 

at the annual event have represented 

New Zealand and the 

Indian community at international 

contests held in a number 

of countries around the world, 

bringing us joy and pride. 

Miss Indianz has been staged 

in a number of venues in 

Auckland (apart from regional 

contests held elsewhere) and 

this year, the pageant is due 

to be held at 730 pm at Aotea 

Centre located at Auckland’s 

Central Business District on 

Saturday, September 17, 2016. 

Perfect Ten 

Mr Parikh said that Miss 

Indianz this year has attracted 

26 contestants from various 

parts of New Zealand and that 

the ensuing contest would be a 

Perfect Ten. 

“The creative flair has 

reached an all-time high this 

year. The show is wrapped into 

three beautifully-crafted segments 

reflecting the values 

and purpose of Miss Indianz 

event. The three rounds ‘Kiwi 

Girl,’ ‘Made in India,’ and ‘Kiwi- 

Indian Elegance’ have helped us 

to further define the vision and 

values of our event,” he said. 

New Zealand Choreographer 

Rina Chae has incorporated a 

small dance routine into the 

opening sequence, Mr Parikh 

said.“Our crew, Masters of 

Ceremonies, Judges and production 

stuff are more diverse than 

ever before,” he said. 

Tickets are available from 

www.aucklandlive.com 

For further details, please 

visit www.rhythmhouse.co.nz 

or call Dharmesh Parikh on 

021-2727454; Email: events@ 

rhythmhouse.co.nz 

All pictures by Miguel Ilangan 

Ilagan Photo & Video 

14th 

Annual 

Event 

PRESENT 

MISS INDIANZ 2016 

ACelebration of Kiwi-Indian Elegance 

Saturday 17th September, 7:30pm, Aotea Centre 

Book your tickets now atwww.aucklandlive.co.nz 

Participate in Miss Popular voting and beintowin fantastic prizes. For details visit www.missindianz.co.nz


Classifiedlink / SporTSLINK 

31 

Gold at Rio Olympics puts Fiji on world map 

Mahendra Sukhdeo 

Fiji’s scintillating gold 

medal win, the first ever 

exploit at the Rio Summer 

Olympics 2016, was a 

crowning glory for the Sevens 

team. 

While Fiji is shedding away 

some of the remnants of the 

past left behind by its colonial 

master, the 43-7 defeat of 

England was like the captivating 

‘Kohinoor’ falling from the 

Taj into the cap of the smallest 

island nation represented at the 

Olympics. 

Ginger bloke’s magic 

Ironically, it was the suave and 

unpretentious English coach; 

Ben Ryan who provided the fillip 

for the rugby-crazed country 

to achieve its mega dream. 

Ryan described himself as 

‘ginger bloke with glasses.’ He 

was exasperated when he was 

not paid for the first five months 

and he was aghast to find that 

there were not enough funds to 

provide drinking water at the 

practices or pay for transport. 

But the ginger bloke has 

framed Fiji in the World Rugby 

map and in so doing, has immortalised 

himself in the annals 

of Fiji’s sporting history as the 

Fijians start coining songs with 

his persona and new born babes 

are named after him. 

Hero worship has reached a 

new height of effervescence not 

seen before. 

Captain Osea Kolinisau is Fiji’s glory (Pictures Courtesy: Reuters) 

Serevi’s legacy 

Fiji has had a hallowed pathway 

in the aisles of World’s Sevens 

Rugby and had won several milestones 

skilfully mapped by its 

nippy ex-Captain, Waisale Serevi. 

For several years, Serevi personified 

Sevens Rugby globally. 

Fiji had the niche to become a 

back-to-back World 7 Champion. 

A number of local Sevens players 

were integrated into national 

teams in New Zealand, Australia 

and Japan. 

I would not be wide off the 

mark to state that the winning 

spree of New Zealand Sevens in 

previous years was to a large 

measure due to the Fijian 

players. 

Unpretentious players 

Suva City Council had hosted 

the Fiji Sevens Team on several 

occasions over the years. 

In spite of the temptation of 

free drinks and opportunity to 

socialise, the players had displayed 

immeasurable sense of 

maturity and disdain. 

Their simplicity and humbleness 

could not be ignored. 

The players who made it to 

the team came from common 

background and had presum- 

Zealand are into 6 digit scales. 

The Fiji Team’s budget is less 

than US$ 600,000, not even quarter 

of the budget of some national 

teams. 

It can be concluded that Fiji, 

led by its gentle giants, laid the 

foundation for Rugby Sevens as 

a safe and spirited game, almost 

entirely free of long-lasting injuries 

and concussions that afflict 

the players of more physically 

combative games where winning 

is the mantra rather than safeguarding 

the players from lifelong 

disadvantage. 

Many other games such as 

in 44 casualties and half a billion 

dollars in damages. The anguish 

and gloom had not yet 

dissipated. 

The gold medal win at the Rio 

Summer Olympics brought joy 

and boosted the morale of the 

people. 

A global destination 

The feel good mood of the nation 

was captured by the Prime 

Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama 

who said, “It is time to celebrate 

not only their remarkable 

achievement but also our collective 

unity...” 

More importantly, Fiji was 

CHANGE OF NAME 

I, Alisha, daughter of Anoop 

Sohanlal, resident of 2/634 

Manukau Road, Epsom, 

Auckland, have changed my 

name to Alisha Messay for 

all future purposes. 

CHANGE OF NAME 

I, Tanya, daughter of Anoop 

Sohanlal, resident of 2/634 

Manukau Road, Epsom, 

Auckland, have changed my 

name to Tanya Messay for 

all future purposes 

Om Sai 

Food & Spices 

Under New Management! 

for all your grocery & Spices needs 

Open 7 days 

Mon - Sat: 9:30 -7:00 

Sundays: 10:30 - 6:30 

7 Reeves Road, Pakuranga 

Tel: (09) 576 6724 

All types of groceries available 

We do Home delivery and Courier* 

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578, Sandringham Road, Sandringham 

Bow of Defeat 

ably started playing on the outskirts 

of the villages and towns 

using plastic bottles or cheap rubbery 

balls from the Two-Dollar 

shops. 

Their navigation from patchy 

backyards to the world arena is 

an incredible feat of endurance 

and dedication. 

They could have succumbed to 

lucrative offers from abroad like 

many of their other players had 

done. 

While some came from the 

army, police, prison and the 

security sectors; others are 

cane cutters or simple villagers, 

literally unemployed. 

Fiji’s gentle giants 

Nor are they receiving hefty 

pay packets as their counterparts 

in the western world. Reportedly, 

they are paid the equivalent of 

around US$ 6000 whereas some 

stalwarts in Australia and New 

Rugby 15, American Baseball 

and Australian Footy would 

therefore not reach the portals 

of Olympics’ status till such 

time they modify the game 

rules within the ambit of the 

Olympics regulations. 

Commemorative events 

It is therefore befitting that 

the victorious team was accorded 

a full-fledged ceremonial 

welcome firstly at Nadi’s 

Prince Charles Park followed 

by the Monday holiday bash at 

the ANZ Gymnasium in Suva. 

Further, the Reserve Bank of 

Fiji would issue a coloured 

commemorative gold coin in 

early 2017, a first for Fiji that 

is likely to become a collector’s 

piece. 

Fiji had suffered heavily in 

February from the devastation 

caused by Category 5 Cyclone 

Winston that had resulted 

the centre of media attention far 

in excess of other events in recent 

history. Fiji became the focus 

of world-wide audience. It 

was trending on the prime spot 

in Twitter for several hours after 

the victory and “Fiji” on Google 

was the most searched topic during 

that time. 

The impact created by engaging 

such a widespread audience 

would allow Fiji Tourism and 

Fiji Airways to embark on marketing 

strategies to strengthen 

the reach of Fiji. 

Fiji is indeed now a global 

destination. 

Mahendra Sukhdeo is a Fiji 

born writer, researcher and 

author. His book “Aryan Avatars” 

is now available through 

the USP Bookstore in Suva.


32 SporTSLINK 

Football Academy seeks funds for Germany 2017 

Magic United Total 

Academy is concerting 

efforts to raise 

funds to enable 

young players to participate in 

the European Trip next year. 

The Academy is far from 

reaching its overall goal of raising 

$300,000 to fund the tour 

but is confident of reaching its 

target. The immediate aim is to 

collect $100,000 by the end of 

November 2016. 

The following article was 

sent to us by Andrew Robinson, 

General Manager of Magic 

United Football Academy 

based in Carrara, Queensland, 

Australia. 

Lifetime opportunity 

Our mission is to provide 

players with an opportunity of a 

life time. Our aim is to provide 

40 players with this opportunity 

through fundraising efforts of 

the Clubs. Any support is greatly 

appreciated. 

In 2017, we will retrace the 

grass roots steps of the successful 

German national team 

squad. We took a party of 80 to 

Spain and England in 2015 and 

we are expecting more to tour 

next year. 

After watching professionals 

train and play in Germany, 

along with training with the 

best Youth German Coaches 

(Club, Federation) we hope that 

our players and parents will see 

the high standards required of 

becoming a professional player. 

Strong commitment 

We hope that all players will 

continue to play sport and lead 

a healthy and active lifestyle regardless 

of standard of league in 

which they play (Professional, 

Semi- Professional, Amateur, 

Recreational). 

We hope that all players will 

stay in the game even after they 

finish playing the world’s most 

popular game, whether that be 

as a volunteer, coach, administrator 

or referee. 

Magic United Total Football 

Academy is committed to offer a 

world class football and life education 

that develops students 

as players and people into leaders 

of football within Australia, 

Danny Morton: Inspiring Coach 

and competent athletes who can 

compete and achieve success at 

the highest level possible. 

Trip of a life time 

Like any club, our challenge 

is to produce players who have 

technical, physical and psychological 

qualities. 

To help achieve this, we have 

to learn from the best. 

There are currently no better 

development pathways than 

the ones established by the 

German Football Federation 

(DFB), which extend all over the 

country. 

After recent achievements of 

the national team, we will follow 

the trail of success back to 

its roots – the youth academies. 

Following a dismal campaign 

in the European Championship 

in 2000, Germany redesigned 

its player pathways and turned 

them into World Champions. 

Philosophy 

Each Bundesliga (Premier/ 

First league) Club must have an 

intensive training centre for 

the youth; most of them have 

built up academies with boarding 

schools focusing on player 

development for U9s to U21s. 

Twenty-one of the 23 German 

World Cup Champions 2014 

were trained in those academies 

as children or teenagers. 

The Mission 

Magic United TFA is committed 

to developing players who 

will continuously grow and 

challenge themselves in the 

quest for excellence. 

We provide development that 

inspires and equips players 

with skill, strength and competence 

that will guide them to 

long term success in football. 

We see grassroots football in 

Australia going to a new level, 

raising future football leaders 

who will change the game. 

The Values 

Teamwork: Play for your team 

and set an example for everyone 

to be inspired. A team 

works best with maximum effort 

by everyone. 

Fair Play: Play by the rules, 

even when others don’t respect 

the referee’s decision. Win or 

lose thank the referee, opposing 

team and your team mates 

for a good game. 

Attitude: Play with the right 

attitude by showing respect 

to your team, family, referee, 

coach and yourself. Try your 

best in all that you do, including 

your relationships with 

others. 

Serenity Thake 

Regardless of ability, age or 

gender Magic United offers the 

same level of coaching across 

the board with player access to 

quality coaching. 

Sport is a unifying factor we 

have in our communities. 

When we provide children 

with experiences that bring 

them together with other cultures. 

Such sportsmanship 

would make them much better 

people in the community in 

their later years. 

Such fundraising efforts and 

foreign tours will help to build 

their appreciation and resilience, 

which are key qualities of 

leadership.

Indian Newslink 15th Sept 2016 Digital Edition

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