Indian Newslink December 15, 2017 Digital Edition

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Issue 383 | December 15, 2017 | Free 

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Labour should 

May 2018 be 

the best yet 

set right the immigration regime 

This is our last issue for 2017 

as we close for Christmas 

and New Year from December 

17, 2017 to January 

But it runs the risk of inept and heartless bureaucracy 

7, 

Alastair McClymont 

Almost everyone I speak 

to says the same thing: 

“Immigration will 

be harder under the 

Labour Government.” 

This is not only migrants 

but also large employers. The 

common perception is that immigration 

numbers will reduce. But 

what can we expect and more 

importantly, what do we need to 

see change? 

Containing fraud and 

exploitation 

Labour’s immigration policy is 

not necessarily aimed at reducing 

migration numbers; their priority 

is to target the rampant fraud and 

exploitation which characterises 

the current immigration system. 

An immediate response to this 

significant issue is to increase 

funding and resources into fraud 

detection, investigation and 

prosecution, strengthen the rules 

around fraud and exploitation 

and to increase funding for the 

Labour Inspectorate. 

Practically speaking, we can expect 

to see a much stronger focus 

on ensuring that businesses that 

employ migrants have proper 

employment agreements, keep 

proper wage and time records 

and pay their staff properly. 

Businesses that do not understand 

this and adjust quickly will 

simply be side-lined, blacklisted 

and will no longer able to hire 

migrant staff. 

Shutting useless courses 

In the longer term, we can 

expect to see the student visa 

market reduce significantly with 

the phasing out of low level 

courses in business and IT. 

The government cannot just 

close private schools who provide 

these courses, but they can cut 

the demand for courses almost 

entirely by taking away the work 

rights of students wanting to 

do those courses. With no work 

rights, then what is the point 

in coming as an international 

student to study? 

No Proper Plan 

What concerns me however 

is that the government does not 

seem to have a wider plan to deal 

with the core issues. 

First, fraud and exploitation 

occur because of the strong 

emphasis in immigration policies 

on having skilled and relevant 

job offers. 

If the focus was more on 

the value of an applicant’s 

qualification, work experience 

and English then the desperate 

need that so many migrants must 

enable themselves to be victims 

of fraud and exploitation will 

disappear. 

Second, if the government 

intends to kill off the bulk of the 

Indian international student 

market, then what is their plan to 

attract good quality post-graduate 

students to our universities and 

polytechnics to study courses 

which could be value to New 

Zealand? 

I do not see any plan to offer 

incentives and attractive benefits 

to the millions of high quality 

students in India. 

Powerless Minister 

Finally, under the previous 

government, the immigration 

system was allowed to run 

into the ground. We had an 

Immigration Minister who clearly 

had no control over his ministry, 

had very little understanding of 

immigration policies and ignored 

the fact that his officials built 

their own little fiefdom that only 

valued money and not people. 

The civil servants slowly 

hacked away at migrant rights, 

separated families, deported 

young children and workers who 

had been here for decades, ignored 

the fraud and exploitation 

rampant in the system. 

The priority of this new government, 

who claim to so highly 

value empathy, human rights 

and the rights of the child must 

be to reign in the out-of-control 

immigration officials who run 

riot over decision making. 

The Minister must personally 

intervene in unjust decisions 

and directives must be given to 

officials to consider the rights of 

families, of New Zealand born 

children, of businesses that depend 

on hard working migrants 

and of students who genuinely 

want the opportunity to study 

and work. 

A culture change is needed, 

one in which migrants actually 

have rights, where decisions are 

properly examined and where 

government officials are judged 

on the quality of their decisions, 

not their ability to act like robots. 

If this change does not happen, 

then history will judge this 

government’s immigration policy 

a failure. 

Alastair McClymont is an Auckland-based 

Immigration Law 

Specialist. He has been associated 

with Indian Newslink since 

this newspaper was launched 

on November 15, 1999. 

Additional Reading: 1. Economic 

fortune swings with declining 

migrant numbers on Page 10 

and 2. Our Leader, “Immigration 

Policy should be sound and 

just” under Viewlink. 

2018. Our offices will reopen on 

January 8, 2018 and our first issue 

in the New Year, dated January 15, 

2018, will be released on that day. 

However, our three web editions 

and Social Media network will 

continue as round-the-clock news 

services with new stories posted as 

they become available to us. 

The year that is slipping away 

has been one of challenges. We 

have had to cope with unfair and 

unhealthy competition and unfair 

advantage enjoyed by others, 

consequently unfair disadvantage 

visiting upon us. We continued to 

march on, undeterred, because we 

have someone special on board: 

You, Dear Reader. 

The New Government 

From a broader perspective, 

the country stood up to a 

General Election and its uncertain 

aftermath. But in the end, sanity 

and democracy prevailed and we 

have a new government which we 

hope will deliver on its promises. 

As a newspaper that has remained 

non-aligned, we will perform our 

sacred duty of unbiased reporting, 

supporting deserving policies and 

questioning those that would be 

detrimental to the Nation’s interest. 

But we have reason to believe 

that good sense will prevail. 

We thank our advertisers, sponsors, 

contributors, well-wishers 

and readers Merry Christmas and a 

Happy News Year! 

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DECEMBER 15, 2017 

02 Homelink 

World Telugu Meet exalts cultural and social heritage 

Festival and Conference in Hyderabad from December 15 to 

19, 2017 

Ratna Venkat 

The South Indian State of 

Telangana will receive 

international limelight 

and acclaim as it prepares 

to host a Festival incorporating 

cultural programmes and a 

Conference, bringing glory to 

Telugu-speaking people all over 

the world. 

Welcome to Hyderabad 

‘Prapancha Telugu Mahasabhalu’ 

or ‘World Telugu Conference’ 

(WTC 2017) will be held in 

Hyderabad City in the new South 

Indian State showcasing and 

celebrating the beauty of Telugu 

literature, culture, society as well 

as the historical contributions of 

scholars and poets who originated 

from the Telangana region. 

WTC will be the first of its kind 

under the leadership of Chief Minister 

Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar 

Rao, after the State formed in 

2014. 

It will be held from December 

15 to December 19 and will 

comprise various seminars, 

literary discussions known as 

‘Avadhanam’, poetry recitations, 

cultural programmes comprising 

music, dance, folk arts, theatre 

and cinema. 

In addition, Mr Rao has assured 

that food courts, a book exhibition, 

a handicraft sales emporium and 

exhibitions by the Archaeological 

Department will be a part of 

WTC to enable national and 

international visitors to have an 

all-rounded and enlightening 

experience during this five-day 

Mela. 

India and Beyond 

Organised by the Government 

of Telangana, Telangana Sahitya 

Academy, its Chairman Nandini 

Sidda Reddy and other members 

of the Organising Committee, 

have worked tirelessly to promote 

this event to potential delegates 

who are fans of Telugu language, 

history and culture from across 

India and the world. 

Mahesh Bigala, the NRI Coordinator 

for WTC 2017, has been responsible 

for promoting this event 

internationally. He has invited 

Non-Resident Indians, the Telugu 

Diaspora, community groups and 

associations to participate in this 

Telangana Chief Minister K C Rao has invited the Diaspora to visit the WTC 2017 being held 

from December 15 to 19, 2017. 

prestigious event. 

About 6000 delegates have 

already registered to attend WTC, 

with representatives from 12 

Indian States and 30 countries 

including Australia, Canada, 

Denmark, New Zealand, United 

Kingdom and United States of 

America. 

The New Zealand Delegation 

Among the members of the New 

Zealand delegation to Hyderabad 

are Telugu Rashtra Samithi New 

Zealand President Vijay Reddy 

Kosna, Telangana Association 

President Kalyan Rao Kasuganti, 

Director of Sangeeta Bharathi 

School of Music Govardhan 

Mallela and Telangana Jagruthi 

President Aruna Jyothi Reddy. 

This writer has been accorded 

the privilege of being the ‘Telugu 

Cultural Ambassador,’ performing 

traditional Kuchipudi dance, 

indigenous to Telangana and its 

neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. 

A Living Language 

It has long been assumed that 

Sanskrit (from the Indo-European 

family) and Tamil (from the 

Dravidian family) are the only two 

languages from India that have 

been granted true ‘Classical’ status, 

both being distinct from each 

other in terms of script, letters and 

pronunciation. 

However, Telugu, with its long 

history, was finally accepted to be 

of ‘Classical’ status in 2016 after 

evidence such as the ‘Kurikyala 

Stone Edict’ in Jagital district that 

had inscriptions of ‘Kanda Padhyalyu’ 

in Telugu, was presented by 

the Telangana government to the 

Madras High Court, with proof 

that the language has been in 

existence for over 1000 years. 

Moreover, as a Kuchipudi artiste 

performing for Telugu Classical 

and Non-Classical music, I am 

aware that Telugu has always 

been a natural choice for ancient 

and modern music composers as a 

‘Musical Language.’ 

A New Telugu State 

Formerly a part of Andhra 

Pradesh, it was believed that 

the Telangana region and its 

language were not given proper 

recognition, with certain scholars 

and poets not being accredited 

and major literary styles such as 

‘Dwi Pada’ and ‘Prabandham’ not 

getting their well-deserved honour 

and status. 

I believe that Telangana’s efforts 

to prove its unique identity was 

suppressed during the linguistic 

reorganisation of States between 

the 1940s and 1950s and during 

the separate State movement prior 

to its formation in 2014. 

Therefore, the forthcoming WTC 

will be a step in the right direction 

for modern India and the world to 

take notice of Telangana, the new 

Telugu State with its own history, 

culture, traditions and way of life. 

“While the literary and cultural 

greatness of Telangana was 

highlighted quite a bit during the 

Telangana movement, it is time 

we took it to the global level,” says 

Cultural Affairs Director Mamidi 

Harikrishna. 

Festival Venues 

Lal Bahadur Stadium is the 

main venue where WTC 2017 

will be held, while the prestigious 

National Theatre ‘Ravindra 

Bharathi’ will be the location for 

programmes of music, dance, 

drama and cinema. 

Other venues include the ‘NTR 

Auditorium’ in Potti Sriramulu 

Telugu University, where literary 

discussions, seminars 

and debates will take place, 

while the ‘Indira Priyadarshini 

Auditorium’ at 

Nampally will be used 

for women-oriented 

activities and 

children’s 

festivals and 

‘Lalitha Kala 

Thoranam’ 

will be the hub for performing 

arts. 

Stalls on Telugu literature will 

be set up and a Mini-Secretariat 

will be provided to monitor 

and attend to the queries of the 

delegates. 

Vice-President of India M 

Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate 

WTC 2017, while President Ram 

Nath Kovind and Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi have been invited 

as Chief Guests. Eminent and 

Award-winning writers in Telugu 

and other Indian languages, politicians 

and media personalities are 

expected to be present at various 

events. 

Newborn Identity 

As Telangana celebrates three 

years of being the newest state 

formed in India, constant efforts 

are being made by its Chief 

Minister, government officials and 

citizens to segregate ‘Telangana 

Culture’ from ‘Andhra Pradesh 

Culture’ across India and around 

the world. 

“The intention is not to cast 

asperations on anyone but to 

celebrate the Telugu language, 

literature and contribution of poets 

and writers from this region,” 

Culture and Tourism Department 

officials have said. 

Hence, performances such 

as ‘Kolattam,’ ‘Perini,’ ‘Kalupu,’ 

‘Naatu,’ ‘Bathukamma’ and folk 

songs from the rural region will be 

an integral part of WTC 2017 that 

will display the best of Telangana 

culture to national and international 

delegates. 

Other traditional 

acts comprise ‘The 

relationship between 

Tanishah and Ramadasu,’ 

‘Ramadasu 

Padakeerthanalu,’ 

‘Thandanana 

Ramayanam,’ ‘Saradakars’ and 

‘Harikatha Recital.’ 

My participation at an earlier 

international festival and conference 

in India enabled me to 

witness the cultures and peoples 

from almost all Indian States, with 

Telangana particularly capturing 

my attention with its rich culture 

and tradition. 

I now look forward to participating 

at ‘Prapancha Telugu 

Mahasabhalu’ to learn more and 

immerse myself into the Telangana 

World. 

About Ratna Venkat 

Ratna Venkat, who received the 

Title of ‘Kuchipudi Princess’ 

from former New Zealand 

Prime Minister Sir John Key 

on November 28, 2016, is an 

Award winning Indian Classical 

Dancer, Choreographer and 

Assistant Editor of Indian 

Newslink. She is a member of 

the New Zealand Delegation 

to ‘World Telugu Conference 

2017,’ an International event 

sponsored by the Government 

of Telangana, Telangana Sahitya 

Academy and its Chairman Mr 

Nandini Sidda Reddy, being 

held in Hyderabad in the South 

Indian State of Telangana. Ratna 

will post experiences of her trip 

via her Facebook and Instagram 

pages and will provide a 

detailed report post event in our 

January 15, 2018 issue. Like her 

on facebook.com/ratnarangnz 

and Follow her on instagram. 

com/ratnarang to stay updated. 

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Monitor Technical Report rates us poor 

Sourced Content 

The right of all 

children to grow up 

to be healthy, strong, 

well-educated and 

capable of contributing to 

their societies underpins 

every international 

agreement to recognise and 

protect children’s rights. 

Poverty interferes with the 

capacity of children to enjoy 

this right and for children 

in rich countries, relative 

poverty also perpetuates 

cycles of disadvantage and 

inequity. 

As a result, some children 

miss out the opportunities 

to be educated, healthy or 

nourished compared with 

their peers. 

New Zealand is a signatory 

to the United Nations 

Agenda 2030 for sustainable 

development that came into 

effect in January 2016. 

Development Goals 

The Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDGs) include a 

target to, by 2030, reduce at 

least by half the proportion 

of children living in poverty 

in all its dimensions according 

to national definitions. 

Consistent measurement 

is essential to developing 

successful policies and 

programmes to end child 

poverty in all its forms. 

Three Groups of Indicators 

The 2017 Child Poverty 

Monitor Technical Report 

provides the fifth consecutive 

annual report on indicators 

and implications of child 

poverty in New Zealand, and 

progress toward achieving 

selected SDGs that are 

relevant to children. 

The first part of the Report 

is relevant to the goal of ending 

poverty in all its forms 

everywhere and presents 

data on five measures or 

dimensions of child poverty 

in New Zealand. 

The second group of 

indicators tracks progress 

towards goals to ensure 

healthy lives and promote 

wellbeing, ensure inclusive 

and equitable quality education 

for all, and promote 

peaceful and inclusive 

societies. 

The third group of indicators 

provides information 

about the context in which 

the specific child-related 

issues arise, and are 

particularly relevant to 

goals to promote full and 

productive employment and 

decent work for all and to 

reduce inequality within and 

between countries. 

Monitor Partners 

The Child Poverty Monitor 

comprises a partnership 

between the Office of the 

Children’s Commissioner, 

the New Zealand Child and 

Youth Epidemiology Service 

(NZCYES) at the University of 

Otago, and the J R McKenzie 

Trust. 

The Child Poverty Monitor 

partners choose indicators 

taking into consideration 

the recommendations of the 

Expert Advisory Group on 

Solutions to Child Poverty 

and the indicators previously 

included in the Children’s 

Social Health Monitor. 

Key Points 

“Poverty is not just about 

having “less than” it is 

about “not having enough” 

Child Poverty Measures 

Income Poverty 

The number and 

proportion of dependent 

0–17 Year olds living in 

income-poor households 

increased significantly 

between 1988 and 1992, 

and these figures remain 

high. 

The number and 

proportion of dependent 

0–17 Year olds living in 

households with the most 

severe income poverty 

have not declined since 

2012. 

To meet the UN SDG 

target, New Zealand 

must achieve at least 50% 

reduction from 2015 levels 

in all indicators of income 

poverty by 2030. 

Editor’s Note: The above 

is an extract of the introductory 

comments of the 

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03 

‘Child Poverty Technical 

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The Report (available 

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04 Homelink 

Child poverty should be addressed across party lines 

Stand First: The ‘2017 Child Poverty Monitor’ released on December 7, 2017 indicated a drop of 1% to 2% across the 

measures of child poverty in New Zealand. Since then, there have been comments from agencies and organisations 

involved with children and childcare. These have appeared in our three web editions. The following articles carry a couple 

of them, first from Prime Minister Jacinda Arden 

Anton Blank 

Asmall drop in the number 

of children in low income 

households is welcome 

but the Government is 

committed to making significant 

progress on lifting children out of 

poverty. 

Every child deserves the best 

start in life and to grow up and 

reach their potential free of the 

burden of poverty. 

While it is encouraging to see 

the gains reported in the Child 

Poverty Monitor on December 

7, 2017, there are still thousands 

of New Zealand children going 

National claims initiative for reducing Child Poverty 

Paula Bennett 

Confirmation from the Children’s 

Commissioner that 

the growth in child poverty 

has been halted is largely 

due to initiatives introduced by 

National. 

Judge Andrew Beacroft has 

today confirmed that since the 

National Government increased 

benefits in 2015, there has been 

a drop in the number of children 

without the basics they need. 

Strong commitment 

When I took on responsibility 

for child poverty reduction about 

seven weeks ago, I committed to 

making substantial progress on 

lifting children out of poverty. 

I am ambitious for all our 

children. They are relying on the 

Government to make real change, 

and I am prepared to be held to 

account for achieving it. 

Over the past six weeks, my 

ministers have been busy on 

a range of measures that will 

make a meaningful difference for 

children. 

Legislative changes 

The Families Package, and my 

Child Poverty Reduction Bill, 

will have asignificant impact on 

families who are struggling to pay 

for the basics for their children 

and will ensure the public can 

track our progress. 

Details of the Package will be 

announced this week. 

It is targeted at those who need 

support the most, and will be 

much more effective at lifting 

children out of poverty than the 

Opposition’s plan. 

My Poverty Reduction Bill is an 

opportunity to reach a long-term 

living in low income households. 

Great News 

This is great news and further 

consolidates National’s track record 

as a party that shows it cares, 

rather than just says it cares. 

We were the Government that 

increased benefits for the first 

time in 40 years. 

Since 2010, we reduced the 

number of children living in material 

hardship by 135,000 and since 

2011 we reduced the number of 

children in benefit-dependent 

households by 61,000. 

Labour Government neglects 

Child poverty is a serious issue 

that we remain committed to 

commitment to tackle child 

poverty and I am keen to work 

with the Opposition to make that 

commitment durable. 

The Bill will set a range of measures 

that ensure that the progress 

we make towards meeting out 

targets is making a real difference. 

Anton Blank 

The latest Child Poverty Monitor 

shows a slight decrease in the 

numbers of New Zealand children 

living in poverty. 

The signs are encouraging. 

The new government’s 

commitment to putting child 

poverty targets and measures into 

working hard on. 

It needs to be recognised though 

that the complex issues that are 

the causes of hardship are often 

intergenerational. 

That is why it is extremely 

concerning that (Prime Minister) 

Jacinda Ardern and her Government 

have not committed 

to retaining either the Social 

Investment approach, or the 

Better Public Services targets we 

implemented. 

Our drive has been – and will 

always be – to root out the source 

of the problem through sophisticated 

data-driven risk analysis, 

followed up with solutions that 

legislation now makes the goal 

of reversing the increase in child 

poverty attainable. 

Government action 

The Child Poverty Monitor, 

which is a collaborative project between 

the Office of the Children’s 

Commissioner, J R McKenzie 

Trust and Otago University, can 

take credit for this decrease. They 

highlight the issue every year 

and push the issue into the public 

domain. As a result, the previous 

government increased benefit 

rates and made other adjustments. 

Maori and Pacifika children 

In 2011, a report from the advocacy 

coalition ‘Every Child Counts’ 

estimated that 60% of the children 

living below the poverty line were 

Maori and Pasifika. 

The monitor shows some 

improvement for these groups, 

especially in education. 

More Maori and Pasifika students 

are achieving NCEA Level 2. 

work for the individual on a caseby-case 

basis. 

Judge Beacroft points out that 

for children to flourish and thrive, 

sustained progress is needed. 

Real Solutions for hardships 

It is, therefore, both surprising 

and extremely disappointing that 

the new Government intends to 

abolish our Family Incomes Package. 

This would have lifted around 

50,000 children out of poverty, by 

one OECD definition. 

These are real solutions for real 

hardship. Labour has made big 

proclamations about putting child 

poverty reduction targets into 

legislation, but they’ve baulked at 

But Maori in particular lag 

behind other groups. 

Working with schools to lift 

Maori achievement is essential. 

Research tells us repeatedly that 

teachers have low expectations 

of Maori learners, which has 

created an enduring pattern of 

under-achievement. 

If we are serious about lifting 

Maori children out of poverty, 

we must focus on education and 

preparing young Maori for the 

workforce. 

I commend the Child Poverty 

Monitor and its partners for their 

continued advocacy for New Zealand 

children, and the impressive 

results we are now seeing. 

Anton Blank is a child advocate, 

writer and publisher based in 

Auckland. He has extensive experience 

in Maori development, 

social work, public health and 

literature. Picture Courtesy: 

Radio New Zealand. 

putting a number to those targets. 

National left the new Government 

a great opportunity to 

further reduce child poverty with 

strong job growth, budget surpluses 

and our Social Investment 

toolkit to root out the causes of 

hardship. 

As an Opposition party, we will 

hold the Government to account 

and ensure it steps up and delivers 

more than just slogans. 

Paula Bennett is an elected 

Member of Parliament from 

Upper Harbour and National 

Party’s Spokesperson for 

Children. 

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insurance to suit your needs. 

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Level 1, 3/53 Cavendish Drive, Manukau


Farewell Friend, Welcome Ansuya! 

Venkat Raman 

venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Homelink 

05 

Following her 

announcement on 

Thursday, December 

7, 2017 that she was 

relinquishing her post as 

Head of Community Banking 

at BNZ, effective December 

21, 2017, we received no 

less than 25 phone calls and 

33 text messages asking the 

same question: “Why?” 

Such was the relationship 

that Ansuya Naidoo fostered 

with the businesses in general 

and those of the Indian 

community in particular that 

it is difficult to disassociate 

her with the banking institution 

that she represented so 

well for the past 18 years. 

True, she met only a few in 

her daily routine and a much 

larger number at the Annual 

Indian Newslink Indian 

Business Awards since 2011 

but the involvement through 

other means of communication 

was intense and 

even personal. She was the 

financial heart of the BNZ 

and the Indian community. 

To say that she would be 

missed is an understatement. 

Back in business 

But the good news is 

that she would return to 

business after a few months 

of holiday and travel, both of 

which are overdue and well 

deserved. 

Ansuya Naidoo with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and from left Housing & 

Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford and Opposition Leader Bill English. 

(Picture by Creative Eye Fotographics). 

She intends to be involved 

with banking in an enhanced 

capacity, at which the 

goodwill that she has earned 

during the past two decades, 

more so since BNZ became 

the Title Sponsor of our 

Awards Programme, will be 

useful investment. 

“I am proud to be 

associated with this growing 

community,” she told Indian 

Newslink as we were preparing 

our Diwali Special 2014. 

Challenging Community 

Moving from her 

native South Africa was an 

emotional experience, but it 

was a decision that she had 

to take for the betterment of 

her family which now comprises 

her two daughters, 

one of who lives and works 

in Sydney. 

The complexity of the 

Indian business community, 

she believes, brings with it 

new perspectives. 

Good Discusser 

Farther from banking she 

is a good conversationalist. 

Women’s Lib? That is an 

old subject, a given now. 

Gender Equality? New 

Zealand was one of the first 

countries to provide equal 

opportunities for women; 

but we have lagged. There is 

need for another push. 

When we recognised 

and honoured Ansuya at 

the Tenth Annual Indian 

Newslink Indian Business 

Awards on November 27, 

2017, we were not aware 

of her moving decision. We 

requested Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern and Opposition 

Leader Bill English to 

jointly honour Ansuya with a 

Gratitude Award. 

It was truly an emotional 

moment. 

Ansuya made our working 

relationship with BNZ very 

special and flexible. 

Moving away from a close 

relationship will not be easy. 

Don’t have your friends’ 

and family’s offerings 

destroyed when they 

arrive in New Zealand. 

Tell them to leave 

Prasad at home. 

This includes all fruit, honey products, 

vegetables and fresh flowers. 

For more info mpi.govt.nz/declare


06 Educationlink 

Scientists study how the brain talks to other organs 

Research to understand the Autonomic Nervous System 

Venkat Raman 


Do you know that almost 

every emotion activates 

your nervous system 

which in turn impacts on 

the functioning of the brain and 

other essential organs of your 

body? 

That was of course a simplistic 

question, but it illustrates the 

need to take cognisance of the importance 

of the nervous system. 

The Auckland Bioengineering 

Institute (ABI) of University of 

Auckland is playing a key role 

in a Programme of the US-based 

National Institute of Health (NIH) 

that aims to understand and use 

the autonomic nervous system to 

treat disease. 

ABI Director Professor 

Peter Hunter said that the $20 

million plus programme, called, 

‘Stimulating Peripheral Activity 

to Relieve Conditions (SPARC), 

recognises that all organs of the 

human body are innervated by 

the autonomic nervous system. 

A chilling example 

“For example, when you have a 

fright, you release adrenalin into 

your body, your heart rate speeds 

up and all sorts of things change, 

partly because you are releasing 

hormones into the blood stream, 

and partly because your neural 

system is activating through neural 

transmission to your organs,” 

Professor Peter Hunter 

Professor Hunter said. 

This has been a relatively 

neglected area of neuroscience, as 

researchers have focused on the 

higher cognitive functions of the 

brain, he said. 

But a year ago, the NIH funded 

a number of experimental groups 

to map out neural innervation 

looking at how peripheral nerves 

send out electrical signals to a 

particular organ in response to 

external and internal factors 

such as stress, diet, exercise and 

disease. 

Potential to treat diseases 

Part of NIH’s motivation is a 

growing awareness that modulation 

of these electrical, control 

signals via therapies and devices 

is a potentially powerful way to 

treat many diseases and conditions 

such as hypertension, heart 

failure, gastrointestinal disorders, 

type II diabetes, inflammatory 

disorders, and more. 

But more knowledge is needed 

to fully understand how these 

therapies control internal organ 

function, Professor Hunter said. 

“In addition, the design of more 

effective neuro-modulation therapies 

requires knowing exactly 

what nerves one must stimulate 

and how they must be stimulated 

to achieve the desired effect on 

organ function,” he said. 

Mapping digital info 

A key aspect of the SPARC project 

is mapping and organising all 

the digital information generated, 

which would be the area of 

involvement for ABI. 

Professor Hunter and his team 

(which includes Dr Bernard de 

Bono and Dr David Nickerson 

from the ABI, as well as a number 

of ABI software developers) are 

one of three groups commissioned 

to form the Data and 

Resource Center working on 

digital components of SPARC. 

“Our role is to map data as it 

is collected and not only from 

different organs but also from 

the different animal species used 

in physiological experiments,” 

Professor Hunter said. 

Five-Year Project 

Over five years, ABI will be 

mapping all the data as it is produced 

and developing web portals 

that will enable researchers 

to interact with the data and start 

developing computer models. 

“This builds on the infrastructure 

and modelling work we’ve 

already developed and it will 

enable us to acquire new skills 

and experience with neural 

pathways,” Professor Hunter said. 

University Physiologist Professor 

Julian Paton, who has spent 

30 years studying the autonomic 

nervous system and is collaborating 

with ABI, said that modulating 

the activity of nerves controlling 

our organs has huge potential for 

addressing unmet clinical need 

for many cardiovascular and 

metabolic diseases. 

“The SPARC programme will 

provide essential information 

and, for the first time, reveal how 

the brain talks to every organ of 

our body which can be subsequently 

mimicked by devices to 

treat diseases,” he said. 

NCEA examinations 

over for another year 

Supplied Content 

NCEA and New Zealand 

Scholarship examinations 

are closed for the 

year. 

The New Zealand Qualifications 

Authority (NZQA) and 

schools have run more than 100 

examinations at 411 examination 

centres over the last four 

weeks, Deputy Chief Executive 

Kristine Kilkelly said. 

“Our examinations process 

is a significant undertaking, 

with around 143,000 students 

entered for examinations that 

count towards their NCEA 

achievement. The great support 

from schools helps to make 

sure the examinations process 

runs smoothly,” she said. 

Pilot Programme 

Ms Kilkelly said that about 

5100 students had entered for 

digital examinations as a part 

of the NZQA Digital Trials and 

Pilots programme. 

Digital examinations were 

available at NCEA Level 1 in 

English, Media Studies and 

Classical Studies, and in the 

same subjects at NCEA Level 2. 

NCEA results will be available 

online from January 16, 2018 

and Scholarship results on 

February 13, 2018. The secure 

Learner Login section of the 

NZQA website will be unavailable 

from January 12, 2018. 

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Educationlink 

07 

Digital Divide poses new challenges to New Zealanders 

Clare Curran 

Communications 

Minister Clare Curran 

has released a report 

outlining the digital 

divide in New Zealand. 

The following is her Statement: 

In line with our commitment 

to open government, I have 

released the Report, ‘Digital 

New Zealanders: The Pulse of 

our Nation,’ which the previous 

government did not make 

public until after the election 

as it exposed the digital divide 

in New Zealand. 

Twelve Focus Groups report on online bullying 

Julie Anne Genter 

ANew Report shows how 

girls experience online 

harm differently than 

boys, and tailored prevention 

approaches are needed. 

The Report ‘Insights into digital 

harm: The online lives of New 

We are doing well in terms 

of improving connectivity for 

New Zealanders, but while 

more people are getting better 

connectivity, more people are 

also being left behind. 

Families on low incomes, 

seniors, and people living outside 

urban areas are becoming 

increasingly disenfranchised 

by a lack of access, the inability 

to afford the internet or a lack 

of skills or motivation to be 

digitally capable. 

Low Budget Review 

This Report was a very low 

budget literature review. It is a 

good foundation, but this Government 

intends to do much 

more, so that we can find real 

solutions for real people. 

The Report sets out the need 

Zealand girls and boys,’ was 

launched on December 1, 2017. 

Focus Groups 

It covers young people’s 

experiences with digital harm 

and draws on insights from 12 

focus groups from schools across 

New Zealand. 

My message to young people is 

that ‘You deserve to be safe, and 

you deserve support to get safe’ 

We live in a digital world. 

Getting insights into the online 

for a single, nationwide policy 

framework on digital inclusion 

in New Zealand with input 

from digitally disadvantaged 

groups and informed by robust 

economic data. We know that 

not all New Zealanders are 

participating equally in the 

digital world – and we need 

to understand better why that 

is, and what solutions may be 

effective in changing that. 

Global examples 

We do not have to reinvent 

the wheel and have only 

to look at the international 

examples in this Report to see 

what is in train and working 

around the world. We need 

to determine what works 

specifically for us and make it 

happen. 

This Report, together with 

other research and data that is 

currently available, will be a 

valuable input to the development 

of the new government’s 

blueprint for digital inclusion 

which we will be developing 

with the assistance of a soon to 

be established Advisory Group. 

Exploring basic issues 

The group will help us 

explore the complex but fundamental 

issues of how we can 

reduce the gap between the 

digital ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ 

and will help determine what 

skills Kiwis need to be ready 

for the jobs of the future. 

A full copy of the report is 

available at 

www.mbie.govt.nz 

lives of girls and boys helps us 

better understand how young 

people view digital harm and 

how to prevent it. 

Every single young person in 

this report knew of someone badly 

affected by things happening 

online. Young people’s behaviour 

online can lead to further harm 

in their offline relationships. 

Preventing harm 

We have to understand more 

about how to prevent harm online, 

about how to keep safe, and 

what to do when it is not safe. 

Girls and boys in our study 

strongly supported prevention 

efforts, including education about 

norms, consent, mental health 

and respect. 

The research found that young 

people will not always ask their 

parents for help. Young people 

and their parents do need to 

know where to get help and who 

to ask for it. 

I encourage parents to educate 

themselves about young people’s 

online environments, to talk 

about healthy relationships, and 

to discuss online risks and safety 

with their children. 

The full report is available at 

www.women.govt.nz. 

Resources for parents, teachers 

and young people are available at 

www.netsafe.org.nz 

Julie Anne Genter is New 

Zealand’s Minister of Women 

• Foundedbyformer Minister ofImmigration 

• Unparalleled recordofsuccess 

• Evenotheradvisers andimmigrationofficersuse TDA 

Honourable TuarikiDelamere 

FormerMinisterofImmigration 

FounderofTDA 

Honourable Tua ri ki Delamere 

Fo rm er M inister o fImm i gration 

Founder of TDA 

Auckland Office 

HastingsOffice 

LowerGround 

5 th Floor 

441QueenSt 

215 Railway Road 

Auckland 

Hastings 

09-337-0380 09-337-0380 

dol@delamere.co.nz 

www.tdavisa.com


08 Fijilink 

Law enforcers share cultural wealth and heritage 


Contrary to popular 

belief that law-enforcing 

authorities including 

judges and court officials 

and people in the legal profession 

including lawyers, barristers and 

solicitors do not even know how 

to smile, a gathering of men and 

women proved last weekend that 

they can socialise and promote 

goodwill and friendship and give 

vent to their cultural and social 

values. 

Paradise Restaurant in 

Sandringham (Auckland) hosted 

a cultural extravaganza at which 

korowais and sarees intermingled 

and ethnicity was embraced and 

celebrated. 

The venue was filled with 

a kaleidoscope of colour and 

glamour, as Turkish, Indian, and 

Cook Island music resounded 

through the arterial veins of the 

establishment. 

Inspiring moments 

The event was the inspiration 

of lawyers Anjeet Singh, Echo 

Haronga, and Victor Heather, 

passionate about their heritage 

and culture. It brought together 

Judges, Lawyers, Court Staff, 

Crown, Police Prosecutors, 

friends and families. 

It celebrated the efforts of hardworking 

people and bid farewell 

to Sergeant Eardley Dijkstra, a 

loyal police prosecutor with 38 

Anjeet Singh, Sergeant Eardley Dijkstra, Echo Haronga and Victor Heather 

years of distinguished service. 

Net proceeds from this event 

were donated to Starship Children’s 

Hospital. 

The spirit of Christmas and 

giving were reflected by the 

generosity of guests who gifted 

toys to children. 

Awards and Citations 

The event also recognised and 

rewarded several people for their 

services to the community, while 

a few were given to add fun and 

joy. 

The Award categories included, 

Vivienne Feyen, winner of the ‘People’s Champion Award’ 

‘Lifestyle Transformation,’ 

‘Positive Inspiration,’ ‘Best 

Dressed,’ ‘People’s Champion,’ 

‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Laurel Award,’ 

and ‘Chancery Award.’ 

Vivienne Feyen received the 

‘People’s Champion Award’ in recognition 

of her fearless attitude in 

defending the most vulnerable in 

society. She exemplified courage 

under fire, diligence in her work 

practice, and a stalwart of the 

rule of law. 

The ‘Chancery Award’ was presented 

to Sergeant Dijkstra for his 

dedication to law enforcement, 

compassion and keen sense of 

fair-play in an adversarial role. 

‘The Laurel Award’ was 

presented to Paul Borich QC for 

his outstanding contribution to 

Criminal Law, considered a Kauri 

in the forest of Tane Mahuta. 

Gifts were donated or were 

heavily discounted by Jaynend 

Raniga of Brownsons Jewellers, 

based in Royal Oak. 

The event ended the way it 

started: with plenty of entertainment 

and enthusiasm. 

Anjeet Singh and Echo Haronga 

Father and daughter- Judge Ajit Swaran Singh 

and Anjeet Singh 

Mother and daughter- Subhag Singh and 

Anjeet Singh 

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About two years ago, Yale 

University of Medicine 

introduced ‘Super Brain 

Yoga,’ stating that it is a 

scientifically validated method to 

help energise the human brain 

and enhance its sharpness and 

clarity. 

‘Super Brain Yoga’ is today 

being taught and practiced as the 

principle of using subtle energy 

and ear acupuncture. 

Really? 

Ganesha Prayer 

For thousands of years, Hindus 

have been performing ‘Thoppukaranam,’ 

as a way of paying 

obeisance to Lord Ganesha, the 

Remover of all obstacles. Men, 

women and children are encouraged 

to perform this simple 

exercise chanting a specified 

Mantra. 

While the prayer is simply a 

matter of concentration and discipline, 

the physical act energises 

the brain and activates the body 

and soul. 

‘Thoppukaranam’ means 

‘Thwabhyam Karna’ in Sanskrit, 

meaning, “I listen to your Command, 

Oh, Lord Ganesha.” 

Sanatan Dharma 

A new book, written by Auckland 

based Priest and Scholar 

Acharya Pandit Ajay Tiwari, 

Fijilink 

New book explains Hindu rituals and customs 

Magnanimity of Indo-Fijians acknowledged at launch 

Venkat Raman 


Acharya Pandit Ajay Tiwari and others at the Book launch on December 3, 2017 

unlocks the treasure-house of mispronunciation by the priest 

knowledge covering several Hindu 

customs, rituals, practices and and the subsequent repetition by 

or the performer of the ritual 

other invaluable information. ordinary people would be inaccurate, 

meaningless and probably 

It was released at an event held 

at Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan in counterproductive. 

Onehunga, Auckland on Monday, He says in his Preface that he 

December 3, 2017. 

was silent but horrified witness 

Extending to almost 700 to the wrongful recitation of a 

pages including 40 pages of Mantra by a priest at a wedding. 

photographs and similar extent “It had nothing to do with a 

of introduction and forewords, happy occasion like a Marriage 

the Book is titled, ‘Customs and but was relevant to a painful and 

Rituals of Sanatan Dharma.’ sorrowful occasion like death of 

‘Sanatan Dharma,’ which later a person. Under no circumstance 

became the ‘Hindu Dharma,’ should this Mantra be recited at a 

is a code of conduct, following marriage ceremony.” 

which, leads a human being to Tribute to Indo-Fijians 

enlightenment and Nirvana. Pandit Tiwari has paid rich 

Importance of accuracy 

tributes to people of Indo-Fijian 

As Pandit Tiwari explains, origin, whose magnanimity enabled 

the publication of the Book. 

the Hindu Prayer or Ritual, 

comprising strings of Slokas 

“I acknowledge the help 

must be rendered accurately rendered by Indians hailing from 

to accrue the full benefit of its Fiji; despite being away from 

utterance and hearing; for, any their motherland for decades and 

centuries, they have maintained 

securely the sanctity of the 

religion, just the way an Indian 

woman dedicated to her husband 

in totality maintains her dignity 

and self-respect. Fiji Indians also 

have high regard for all Brahmins 

and Pandits and I bow to them in 

reverence,” he said. 

Praveen Deo, Secretary of the 

Organising Committee and North 

Shore Satsang Ramayan Mandala 

was the Master of Ceremonies. 

Music and Dance 

The event was sanctified 

by a flute recital by Ashwini 

Vishwanath, Hindustani vocal 

09 

by Sita, both of which featured 

Dr Ashok Malur on the Violin 

and Dr Suresh Ramachandran 

on the Mridangam. Classical 

dances by Ratna Venkat, Ambika 

Krishnamoorthy and students of 

a local dance school. 

Every guest was honoured 

with an ‘Angavastra’ (a cloth that 

can be worn on one shoulder or 

across the neck covering both 

shoulders), stated to be a symbol 

of simplicity, hard work and 

respect. 

About Acharya Pandit 

Ajay Tiwari 

Acharya Pandit Tiwari is a 

triple postgraduate in Sanskrit, 

Astrology and Philosophy from 

the internationally renowned St 

Stevens College in Delhi. Following 

his migration to New Zealand 

in 2004, he has been associated 

with Temples and has conducted 

several religious ceremonies for 

people of Indian origin. 

The Book, a large print edition, 

comes with hard-bind, making 

it more expensive. Published by 

the Manurewa (Auckland) based 

Sanskrit Yoga & Jyotish Trust, it 

does not carry a cover price, but 

we understand that it retails at 

NZ$ 50 and could be purchased 

from Pandit Tiwari. His contact 

details are (09) 2679980, Mobile 

021-0347956. 

Email: acharyatiwari@gmail. 

com; sanskritnz@gmail.com


10 Businesslink 

Economic fortune swings with declining migrant numbers 

Satish Ranchhod 

New Zealand has 

experienced a massive 

migration boom. 

Flows of people into the 

country have been running hot for 

several years now, including large 

numbers arriving on temporary 

work and student visas. 

We have also seen higher than 

usual numbers of New Zealanders 

choosing to stay onshore or come 

back from overseas. 

Together, these conditions have 

resulted in an extended period of 

strong migration, with the annual 

net inflow of people rising to a 

record high of 72,500 in July of this 

year. 

Good economic conditions 

The big factor underlying the 

recent strength in migration has 

been New Zealand’s favourable 

economic conditions. 

Compared to many other 

regions, including Australia, New 

Zealand has enjoyed a fairly 

positive run of economic activity 

in recent years. 

We have also been more politically 

stable than countries like 

the UK, adding to New Zealand’s 

attractiveness as a destination. 

Strength in net migration has 

seen population growth surge to 

rates of over 2% per annum in 

recent years. 

The migration-related increase 

in demand has also been 

particularly important in the 

housing market, with population 

inflows adding to the demand for 

both rental and owner-occupied 

housing. This boost to demand 

has been spread across the 

country and reflects not only the 

strong lift in arrivals, but also the 

larger-than-usual number of New 

Zealanders staying on shore in 

recent years. 

Productive capacity boost 

It also adds to our productive 

capacity. And it is particularly 

important for helping us source 

the skilled labour necessary for 

our growing economy. 

During the current migration 

cycle, inflows have been weighted 

towards those of working age. 

Since the uptick in migration 

began in late 2012, we have seen 

the unemployment rate fall from 

6.7% to 4.6%. 

Striking a balance between these 

competing demand and supply 

considerations has been at the 

heart of the recent debates on 

migration, and the political consensus 

on where that balance lies 

has shifted following the general 

election on September 23. 

Moving figures 

Monthly departures of non-New 

Zealanders have risen by 30% 

over the past year, and with a 

very large number of arrivals in 

recent years, we are likely to see 

a proportionately large ‘echo’ of 

departures going forward. 

At the same time, new arrivals 

have been declining, with monthly 

inflows already down 10% from 

their peak. And with the global 

economy improving, we expect 

that these numbers will continue 

to soften. 

In fact, even before the general 

election we were factoring in a 

drop in arrivals of around 30,000 

people over the next few years. 

Now, with policy changes likely 

to put a further brake on arrivals, 

the downturn will be even more 

stark – we have pulled down our 

forecast for arrivals by a further 

12,000 people. This additional policy 

related change to our forecasts 

is smaller than the Labour Party’s 

assumed estimate. 

Reduction in GDP 

The slowdown in net migration 

that is underway will see the rate 

of population growth slow from 

2.1% currently to 0.8% over the 

coming years. That signals a huge 

reduction in the economy’s rate of 

potential GDP growth, and is a key 

reason why we expect lower GDP 

growth over time. 

This will have significant impact 

on the economy. 

First, it will remove an ‘easy’ 

source of demand growth that 

businesses have enjoyed in recent 

years. It is much easier to increase 

revenues in an environment 

where the population is expanding 

rapidly. 

For many businesses, particularly 

those that sell consumer items 

like home furnishing, slower population 

growth over the next few 

years will be asignificant drag. 

Weakening house prices 

Lower migration is one of 

several upcoming policy changes 

that we expect will result in very 

weak house price inflation over 

the coming years. 

It will also reduce the upwards 

pressure on rents. 

In terms of the construction, we 

will not see the same sort of large 

increases in demand that we have 

in recent years. 

In Auckland, demand for 

housing will remain strong. 

However, it will be a very different 

story in many other regions 

that are not wrestling significant 

shortages of housing. 

In some regions slower population 

growth could mean that 

construction levels fall over the 

coming years. 

Impact on human capital 

The fall in migration will reduce 

the pool of available workers in 

some industries, with a related lift 

in wage pressures. However, with 

the new Government looking at a 

targeted tightening of migration 

settings, impacts will be varied 

across sectors. 

We are likely to see fewer 

unskilled workers arriving over 

the coming years, which will be 

particularly important in areas 

like hospitality and retail. 

With the global environment 

improving, many businesses will 

still find it tough to attract highly 

skilled staff. 

Satish Ranchhod is Senior Economist 

at Westpac Bank based in 

Auckland. The above is an edited 

version of his original analysis, 

which can be accessed at www. 

westpac.co.nz 

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12 Viewlink 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

ISSUE 383 | DECEMBER 15, 2017 

Immigration Policy should 

be sound and just 

Alastair McClymont, who 

wrote our frontpage story in 

this issue dispels the myth 

that the Labour Party is against 

immigration and that it erect barricades 

to stop international students 

and migrant workers from seeking 

to become permanent residents and 

eventually citizens. 

Mr McClymont is an experienced 

immigration lawyer, who for the 

most part does pro bono work 

(there are others who make money 

for his firm) for hapless victims 

of the unscrupulous employers (a 

majority of whom are allegedly 

of Indian origin) and what he 

describes ‘heartless bureaucrats.’ 

Streamline, not curtail 

His point is simple: Labour 

wants to streamline immigration, 

not curtail it – hardly a contestable 

point. A hundred workers exploited 

and left to subsist in an otherwise 

rich country is inexcusable transgression 

indeed. 

We hope that the Labour government 

will have in place a sound 

and just immigration regime that 

behoves the character and culture 

of New Zealand as a compassionate 

Nation with progressive policies. 

Defending Immigration 

Looking around the developed 

world, most governments are in 

favour of immigration, despite 

equally vociferous defenders, who 

often fight on nativist turf, citing 

data to respond to claims about 

migrants’ damaging effects on 

wages or public services. Those data 

are indeed on migrants’ side. 

Though some research suggests 

that native workers with skill levels 

Issue 383 December 15, 2017 

similar to those of arriving migrants 

take a hit to their wages because of 

increased migration, most analyses 

find that they are not harmed, 

and that many eventually earn 

more as competition nudges them 

to specialise in more demanding 

occupations. 

Self-interest Strategy 

Appeal to self-interest is 

a more effective strategy. In 

countries with acute demographic 

challenges, migration is a solution 

to the challenges posed by ageing: 

immigrants’ tax payments help 

fund native pensions; they can help 

ease a shortage of care workers. In 

New Zealand for instance, people 

worry that foreigners compete with 

New Zealanders for the care of the 

Public Health Service, but pay less 

attention to the migrants helping to 

staff the system. 

New Zealanders enjoy other benefits, 

too. As migrants prosper and 

have children, they become better 

able to contribute to Science, the 

Arts and entrepreneurial activity. 

This is the Steve Jobs case for 

immigration: the child of a Muslim 

man from Syria might create a 

world-changing company in his 

new home. 

As the Economist would say, 

Europeans are not more deserving 

of high incomes than Chinese or 

Indians. And the discomfort some 

feel at the strange dress or speech of 

a passerby does not remotely justify 

trillions in economic losses foisted 

on the world’s poorest people. 

No one should be timid about 

saying so, loud and clear. 

Sunny days are here but Christmas 

bells are yet to chime. 

The holiday season is closing 

in, but the festive mood is yet to 

dawn. 

But before long, the Nation would 

switch to the holiday mood with 

hundreds of thousands of people 

enjoying their annual vacation or at 

least the statutory holidays, which, 

carried over the Christmas and New 

Year weekends, would be neat. 

The Mini Budget 

As we went to printers with 

this concluding issue of 2017, the 

Labour-led Coalition Government 

would have introduced its Mini 

Budget, giving vent to some of its 

election promises. Parliament 

would discuss Finance Minister 

Grant Robertson’s first-ever Budget 

and pass it in urgency. We would 

analyse the budget and bring you 

expert comments through our three 

Web Editions and the Social Media. 

The new government deserves 

support. That is a fair expectation 

in a democracy. National has had 

three innings since 2008 and it is 

now time for its leaders to relax and 

reflect on their deeds and misdeeds 

and revitalise themselves before 

facing the electorate again in 2020. 

To deny a chance to a government 

that has been chosen on agreed 

principle of majority, would not only 

be unjust but also undemocratic. 

The media that unabashedly 

opposes the incumbent government 

is not doing the job of the Fourth 

Estate. 

Welcoming the New Year 

We would like to predict that 

2018 would be a year of reconciliation, 

reconsolidation and rehabilitation. 

The world economy would get 

on to the path of recovery, contrary 

to the theories of skeptics and those 

who believe that we are in for a 

long spell of disasters. 

In our own little world, we 

will continue to speak about 

celebrating our cultural plurality, 

social partnership and community 

engagement. 

Most important of all, we will 

remain as good New Zealanders, as 

we have always been, with passion, 

compassion, respect, self-respect, 

the will to work and the will to 

succeed. 

The current year has been 

different for different people. 

Despite despair, we continued to 

smile, because we are a nation of 

doers and optimists, with a strong 

will to succeed. 

Just as every raindrop holds a 

flower, every moment of the New 

Year should spell peace, harmony 

and happiness. 

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

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

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

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

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

made in advertisements. 

Managing Director & Publisher: Jacob Mannothra; Editor & General Manager: Venkat 

Raman; Marketing & Sales Manager: Ronny Kumaran; Production Manager: Mahes 

Perera; Assistant Editor: Ratna Venkat; Financial Controller: Uma Venkatram CA; 

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

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

Gandhi Statue raises 

controversy in Grenada 

Jai Sears in Grenada 

Iwrite in response to a 

letter on Mahatma Gandhi 

entitled ‘Dustbin of History’ 

written by Josiah Rougier 

and published in ‘The New Today 

(November 3, 2017) of Grenada. 

In his letter, Rougier is asking 

the Government to remove the 

bust-statue of Gandhi which overlooks 

Sauteurs Bay in Grenada 

where East Indians arrived 160 

years ago. 

His opinion is based on the 

false notion that Gandhi was 

racist because the Mahatma 

reportedly considered Indians 

to be superior to black Africans 

when he referred to the latter as 

“kaffirs.” 

Gandhi was only 27 years old 

when he made that contextual 

statement. 

If Rougier had done his research, 

he would have found that 

Nelson Mandela said, “Gandhi 

must be forgiven for these prejudices 

in the context of the time 

and the circumstances.” 

The quote can be found in 

“Gandhi the Prisoner” by Nelson 

Mandela published in 1995. 

Gandhi was a man; he was 

not God. And even God made 

mistakes. 

Rougier must instead focus on 

the Gandhi’s vision of non-violent 

protest and his belief in satyagraha 

which inspired rebels and 

revolutionaries around the world. 

Influence in Africa and America 

Gandhi’s ideas influenced 

leaders of the African National 

Congress and the struggle by 

Indians and blacks against white 

apartheid rule in South Africa. 

From as early as 1956, when 

he was 27 years old, Martin 

Luther King, Jr referred to Gandhi 

as “The guiding light of our 

technique of nonviolent social 

change.” 

Following the success of his 

boycott, King contemplated 

The Statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Sauteurs Bay, Grenada unveiled on January 23, 2013. 

traveling to India to deepen his “Kafirs (black) are as a rule uncivilised 

convicts even more so. They 

understanding of Gandhian 

principles. 

are troublesome, very dirty and 

The fact is that Gandhi saw live almost like animals.” 

people of all races, castes, colours As a person of African heritage, 

and creeds as equal which led is this the kind of person whose 

to his assassination by a Hindu bust should be placed any-where 

fanatic in 1948. 

among our people? What has this 

So, who is this unknown Josiah racist ever done for the people of 

Rougier? Is he as illustrious as the Grenada? 

great Nelson Mandela and Martin In his own country, he did absolutely 

nothing for the poor people 

Luther King? And is he disagreeing 

with his possible heroes? of India including the (Dravidians 

A friend to all. 

Africans) who occupied the 

Jai Sears lives in Grenada, South of India. They were at one 

Caribbean. The above letter time the largest group of African 

was sent to us by our Trinidad outside Africa according to the 

& Tobago based Columnist Dr late Professor Ivan Sertima in his 

Kumar Mahabir. 

book. ‘Africa’s Gifts to Asia.’ 

The offending Letter that Gandhi Jayanti 

appeared in The New Today of If Indians in Grenada choose 

Grenada: 

to celebrate the birthday of their 

Jai Sears 

leader Ghandi, they are free to 

Earlier this year, our brothers do so in their own homes, but not 

and sisters in Ghana, West Africa, among our young children who 

pulled down a statue of the late P should be celebrating the life and 

M Ghandi from their University, times of those who fought against 

following pressure from the the evil system of the apartheid 

public who thought Ghandi was regime in South Africa.” 

a racist who supported the apartheid 

system in South Africa. should be removed from its 

The bust of this racist man 

An Old Quote 

present location and thrown in 

The following is a quote by the “dustbin of history.” 

Ghandi dated March 7, 1908: 

Hindu Council marks International Volunteers Day 

Fun, Food and Accolades in Lower Hutt 

Kiran Thakar 

Hindu Council of New 

Zealand (HCNZ) 

Wellington Chapter celebrated 

International 

Volunteers Day (IV Day) on Saturday, 

December 2, 2017 at Naenae 

Community Hall in Lower Hutt, 

Wellington. 

IV Day is a United Nations led 

initiative celebrated on December 

5 every year. 

The theme for IV Day 2017 

was “Volunteers Act First. Here. 

Everywhere.” 

The theme was in recognition 

of the efforts of volunteers 

around the world, as well as 

a tribute to the support that 

volunteers provide in times of 

instability, disasters or humanitarian 

crises. 

Volunteers make a world of 

difference by donating their 

talent and time. 

Fun and Games 

The event was well attended 

by adults and children despite it 

being a busy time of the year with 

end of year functions and sports. 

We organised many enjoyable 

Members of the Hindu Council with Volunteers at the event (Picture supplied) 

games with the participation of said, “No matter how developed 

about 40 adults and children. a country is, without volunteers, 

Among them were traditional, it cannot function. Finally, the 

rural Indian games like Kabaddi, satisfaction one gets from giving 

Kho-Kho and Bhajia. 

is also the highest duty one can 

The day ended with a picnic perform in his or her life time. 

feast of delicious mouth-watering Accordingly, although it is my duty 

to thank all our volunteers, one 

dishes on the beautiful Sundrenched 

lawn with a mild needs to be equally proud and be 

cooling breeze on a stunning thankful to the creator to give one 

afternoon. 

and all the best life possible.” 

Our special guest was Elizabeth The Hindu Council of New 

Young, National Strategic Ethnic Zealand was accorded a Special 

Advisor, Maori, Pacific and Ethnic Consultative Status with United 

Services, New Zealand Police. Nations Economic and Social 

Elizabeth shared the work that Council (ECOSOC) in 2012. 

she does at New Zealand Police The Council is now a part of the 

and had fun joining in with the Non-Governmental Organisations 

activities. 

Branch of the United Nations. 

Auckland based HCNZ President 

Vinod Kumar, in his message work of HCNZ 

This is a recognition for the 

volunteers.


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Foreign ownership ban will affect New Zealanders too 

Frank Newman 

The Reserve Bank of New 

Zealand (RBNZ) has 

loosened its grip on bank 

lending, making it a 

little easier for low deposit home 

buyers. 

Acting Reserve Bank Governor 

Grant Spencer said, “LVR (Loan 

Value Ratio) policies have been 

in place since 2013 to address 

financial stability risks arising 

from rapid house price inflation 

and increasing household debt. 

These policies have helped improve 

banking system resilience 

by substantially reducing the 

share of high-LVR loans. Over the 

past six months, pressures in the 

housing market have continued 

to moderate due to the tightening 

of LVR restrictions in October 

2016, amore general firming of 

bank lending standards and an 

increase in mortgage interest 

rates in early 2017...Housing 

market policies announced by 

the Government are also expected 

to have a dampening effect on 

the housing market.” 

Reducing risks 

From January 1, 2018, the LVR 

restrictions will require that (1) 

No more than 15% (currently 

10%) of each bank’s new mortgage 

lending to owner occupiers 

can be at LVRs of more than 80% 

and (2) No more than 5% of each 

bank’s new mortgage lending to 

residential property investors 

can be at LVRs of more than 65% 

(currently 60%). 

In its typically measured style, 

the Bank is taking a slow and 

caution approach to relaxing the 

controls, saying that “it will reduce 

the risk of resurgence in the 

housing market or deterioration 

in lending standards.” 

The Bank’s move mirrors a 

slowdown in the housing market. 

The Governor said, “We do not 

see a collapse of house prices as 

a particularly high-risk, and so, 

we are not acting because we 

see things are about to fall off a 

cliff.” 

The Mini Budget 

I doubt that the change will 

in itself affect the market. A 

greater influence will be what 

happens in the Beehive building 

across the road, and more will be 

revealed when the new government 

releases a Mini Budget on 


Issues likely to be addressed in 

that Mini Budget (and probably 

passed through Parliament 

under urgency) are foreign 

ownership and forestry. 

Associate Finance Minister 

David Parker has released a Ministerial 

Directive setting tough 

new conditions for foreigners 

seeking to buy farmland in 

excess of five hectares. 

Overseas Investment Office 

The directive was in the form 

of a letter to the Overseas Investment 

Office (OIO) setting out the 

Government’s policy approach 

to overseas investment in rural 

land. Although the directive 

does not come into effect until 

December 15, 2017, a day after 

the mini budget, all applications 

currently being processed will 

have to abide by the new rules. 

To gain approval from the OIO, 

an applicant must demonstrate 

that they intend to add value to 

the New Zealand economy. This 

is likely to be in the context of 

new jobs, new technology and 

business skills, and increased 

exports. 

The Directive said, “The 

existing directive is too loose…It 

only applied to very large farms 

more than 10 times the average 

farm size. In practice this meant 

restrictions in sales generally 

applied to sheep and beef farms 

over 7146 ha or a dairy farm 

more than 1.987 hectare.” 

Impacting land values 

Although the Directive refers 

to ‘farm land,’ it clearly relates to 

all non-urban land. 

That raises a big question mark 

over demand for lifestyle property, 

and the impact it will have on 

regions like Northland which are 

popular with overseas buyers. 

Most lifestyle properties will 

not have “added value” potential, 

and may struggle to overcome 

the threshold for approval. All 

eyes will be on real estate companies 

specialising in lifestyle 

property, especially coastal land, 

to see what impact the new rules 

will have on demand and values. 

I expect that there will be a noticeable 

impact on both demand 

and coastal land values. 

Forestry has been specifically 

excluded from the Directive. 

Details are expected to be 

announced in the Mini Budget 

but are likely to revolve around 

requirements for overseas owners 

to establish wood processing 

facilities. 

It seems this initiative is a part 

of the regional development plan 

being led by NZ First Minister 

Shane Jones. 

A press release from David 

Parker said the Directive Letter is 

the first step in strengthening the 

overseas investment regime. 

It is expected that existing 

residential houses will also be 

classed as ‘sensitive land’ and 

require OIO approval. 

While this is not an outright 

ban of overseas house buyers, 

it is likely to have the effect of 

being a total ban as most are 

unlikely to meet the adding value 

criteria. 

Frank Newman is the 

author of numerous books on 

investment. He has worked 

as a share broker, investment 

adviser and University lecturer. 

He was a member of the 

Whangarei District Council for 

six years. He writes a weekly 

article for ‘Property Plus.’ 

The above article appeared in 

the New Zealand Centre for 

Political Research Weekly on 

December 3, 2017 and has been 

reproduced with the permission 

of its Editor Dr Muriel 

Newman. © 

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Conference moots peaceful unification of Koreas 


On November 25, 2017, 

about 1200 social representatives 

including 

youth and religious 

leaders gathered at the First 

Peace Conference of Religious 

Leaders in South-Eastern and 

South-Western Regions for the 

Reunification of Korea to discuss 

spreading a culture of peace 

and preparing action plans for 

peaceful unification of the two 

Koreas. 

The Conference, organised by 

the United Nations Economic and 

Social Council (UN ECOSOC), was 

held in Daegu Metropolitan City, 

South Korea. 

It was hosted by the Buddhist 

Central Association for the 

National Unification of Korea 

and sponsored by Ministry of 

Unification, the National Unification 

Advisory Council and local 

community organisations. 

The German Example 

Speaking at the Conference, 

Heavenly Culture, World 

Peace, Restoration of Light 

(HWPL) Chairman Man Hee Lee 

emphasised the need for peaceful 

unification of Korea through the 

leadership of civil society, using 

the unification of Germany as an 

example. 

“The Korean Peninsula 

was forced to be divided and 

regulations that separated the 

peninsula were established. 

Participants signing Peace Agreement 

Thousands of hands go up for Unification of Korea 

Then, is unification possible with Mr Lee underscored the importance 

of individual participation 

politics and law? The unification 

of Germany was possible when in the work of peace. “To achieve 

people gathered to hold a peaceful 

candlelight rally,” he said. global community should be 

peace, every individual in our 

a 

messenger of peace,” he said. 

Peaceful Process 

Korea Institute for National 

Unification President Gi Woong 

Son said that policy- making 

towards North Korea should be 

oriented to induce peaceful unification 

by opening the eyes and 

ears of the people in the country 

with the values of freedom, 

democracy, human rights and 

welfare. 

Stressing the role of civil society 

in peace-building, he said, “Consistent 

efforts for reaching North 

Koreans through humanitarian 

approaches, including religion, 

culture, art, sports and environment 

should be carried out. These 

areas can avoid transferability 

of capital misused for military 

capabilities of the North.” 

Role of religious leaders 

Kumdang Temple Chief Priest 

Venerable Bup Ryun said that 

religious leaders are responsible 

for leading the work of peace 

and one way to engage in such a 

task is HWPL’s World Alliance of 

Religions’ Peace (WARP) Offices 

for collective peace-building 

efforts by religions. 

“Now is the time for religious 

leaders to stand at the front for 

peace, a long-cherished wish of 

all humanity. The wall blocking 

harmony among religions will 

collapse as a result of our efforts 

to understand one another based 

on comparative study of religious 

scriptures,” he said. 

Conference Participants signed 

a peace agreement incorporating 

a resolution to support HWPL’s 

initiative for cessation of war and 

world peace, and to participate in 

projects for peace and religious 

harmony in the Korean Peninsula. 

About HWPL 

HWPL is an international peace 

organisation conducting global 

peace projects based on the Declaration 

of Peace and Cessation 

of War (DPCW), which addresses 

international co-operation for 

peacebuilding through peaceful 

resolution of conflicts, respect 

on international law, ethnic and 

religious freedom, and spreading 

a culture of peace. 

During the nuclear test by 

North Korea in September, HWPL 

hosted the Third Annual Commemoration 

of the WARP Summit 

to advocate for collaborative 

governance in peace-building, 

with participation of 200,000 social 

representatives from politics, 

religion, media, education and 

women’s groups. 

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Businesslink 

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asset finance,I’m heretohelp. Ican also talk to youabout protecting everything you’ve 

worked hard for, helpstructure your bankingand put stepsinplace to help youmeet 

your future financialgoals. 

Iliveand work locallysohaveathorough understandingofthe localmarket conditions 

andI’m available to come andsee you, at your convenience. As your needscontinue to 

change in thefuture, BNZ hasawide range of other specialiststohelpyou alongthe way. 

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bnz.co.nz/smallbusiness 

9053 11-17 

BNZ’s currentDisclosureStatement maybeobtained from anyBNZ storeorPartners Centre,orviewedonBNZ’s websitebnz.co.nz 

Lendingcriteria, termsand fees apply.



Property transactions baffle buyers and sellers 

Lucy Corry 

While buying your 

first home can be 

a nerve-wracking 

experience, buying 

your second (or third) would not 

be easy. 

First homebuyers may face a 

whole bunch of barriers, but the 

stakes can feel pretty high for 

people who are looking to upsize, 

downsize or just move due to 

family circumstances or job 

changes. 

Prepare Wish List 

In many ways, the process is 

the same. 

You need to write your wish 

list – where the property is, what 

size it is – and think about how 

much you want to spend. 

This is where the buy first or 

sell first conundrum comes in, 

because it is much easier to figure 

out how much you have to spend 

if you have already sold your first 

property. 

A property is only worth what 

someone is prepared to pay for 

it at the time that it is for sale. 

It is unwise to hedge your bets 

solely on an algorithm-generated 

valuation, the back-of-an-envelope 

calculation or recent rating 

valuations. 

Selling First 

Selling first means that you 

have freed up any equity and you 

have a firmer budget to work 

with. However, in a slow market, 

it can mean that you are left 

scrambling to find ‘the one.’ Even 

if you find the right property, it 

can take longer than you might 

anticipate a settlement, which 

means that you may have an unspecified 

period between exiting 

your last home and moving into 

your new one. 

This can be particularly tough 

for people with children and pets, 

especially in an area or at a time 

of year when there is a lot of competition 

for short-term rentals. 

If you do sell first, it is a good 

idea to try to negotiate a longer 

settlement period to give yourselves 

a bit more breathing space. 

Ask your real estate agent and 

lawyer for advice on how to do 

this for – because you are the 

seller, you get to set the terms and 

conditions for your sale process. 

Buying First 

Buying first makes sense in 

lots of ways, particularly if your 

search area is very defined. If a 

property that ticks all the boxes 

comes on the market, it can be 

hard to resist the pull of putting 

an offer on it. 

If you decide to go for it, you 

will need good financial advice 

and nerves of steel. 

If your offer is accepted you 

may find yourself in the position 

of owning two properties, and 

having to service their respective 

mortgages if the settlement dates 

Buy first and Sell later or vice-versa confounds 

(Picture supplied by Real Estate Agents Authority) 

don’t align perfectly. 

It can feel like an eternity while you wait 

for your first property to sell, and if the 

market suddenly slows it can be tempting to 

take the first offer you receive in order to get 

the place off your hands. 

Converse and Consult 

Before you do anything rash, talk to your 

lender or a mortgage broker about what your 

options are in this situation. 

You are likely to need bridging finance to 

cover your offer on the new home – depending 

on your circumstances 

and the method of sale 

you may need access to 

these funds quite quickly. 

Be aware that owning two 

homes will also have insurance 

implications – you will 

need both to be covered. 

Make it Conditional 

If you are planning to buy 

first, you can make the sale 

of your existing property 

a condition of your offer. 

While this takes the pressure 

off, it may also make 

your offer less attractive to 

a seller. 

A good compromise 

may be to try to negotiate 

a longer settlement when 

you buy the new property, 

which will give you more 

time to sell. 

Talk to the real estate 

agent selling the property 

to find out how you can 

negotiate this in a way that 

the seller will be happy. 

There is no perfect, onesize-fits-all 

solution in this 

situation. 

Perhaps the best advice 

is that if you are starting 

to think about buying, it 

is a good idea to get your 

property and your finances 

in order. 

Talk to your lender or a 

mortgage broker and give 

them an indication of your 

plans. 

Start talking to real estate 

agents in your area to find 

out what might be coming 

on the market, and ask 

them for an assessment of 

demand for a property like 

yours. 

Tackle all those jobs 

around the house that have 

needed doing all year – trim 

those overhanging branches, 

replace the broken 

letterbox and repaint the 

scratched front door. At the 

very least, doing this will 

make it a pleasant place to 

live while you figure out 

your next move. 

For independent advice 

on buying or selling property, 

check out www.reaa. 

govt.nz. 

Lucy Corry is Media 

Communications Manager 

at the Real Estate Agents 

Authority based in Wellington. 

For more free and 

independent advice on 

buying a property, please 

access the Home Buyers’ 

Guide at buyingahome. 

reaa.govt.nz. 

If you still have questions, 

call the Real Estate Agents 

Authority (REAA) on 

0800-3677322 or 04-4718930 

from a mobile phone.


Businesslink 

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20 Communitylink 

GOPIO marks ten years of Service in Oceania 

Venkat Raman 


Members of the various 

chapters of the Global 

Organisation of People 

of Indian Origin (GOPIO) 

marked ten years of their operations 

and service at a regional conference 

held in Gold Coast, Australia on 

November 26, 2017. 

Chaired by Suman Kapoor, International 

Coordinator for the Oceania 

region of GOPIO, the Conference was 

attended by delegates from Sydney, 

Melbourne, Queensland, Gold Coast 

and New Zealand. 

Main Participants 

Among the principal participants 

were Conference Secretary Dr Sonia 

Singh (Melbourne), Conference 

Our Health columnist gets more honours 

Indian Newslink Health 

Columnist Thilliar Varnakulasingham 

has been elected as 

a Retired Fellow of the Royal 

Society of Medicine. 

Established in 1805, The Royal 

Society of Medicine was granted a 

Royal Charter by King William IV 

in 1834. 

Eligibility criteria 

Fellowship of the RSM is open to 

those who hold a UK-recognised 

Medical, Dental or Veterinary 

qualification, or a higher scientific 

qualification in a healthcare related 

field. 

Mr Singham was also elected 

a Fellow of the Royal Society for 

Public Health (FRSP) recently. To 

apply for Fellowship, applicants 

must meet Post Graduate level or 

Delegates attending the Conference- Standing (from Left) Pushpinder Oberoi, Raveen Bhairo, Vikas Sinha, 

Professor Balkar Singh Kang, Harjit Singh, Adam Zimmerman, Shyam Das and Harmohan Singh Walia; Sitting 

(from left) Pradeep Kapoor, Vanita Khushal, Dr Sonia Singh, Suman Kapoor and Usha Chandra. 

Convenor Shyam Das (Queensland), 

Conference Coordinator Harjit 

Singh (New Zealand) and Host 

Organiser Pushpinder Oberoi (Gold 

Coast). 

Following the lighting of the 

traditional lamp and ‘Vandana’ 

(Welcome) Dance by New Zealand 

Thilliar Varnakulasingham 

equivalent from an academic institution 

or recognised professional 

body and a career commitment 

to the improvement of population 

health and/or wellbeing. 

Longest established Organisation 

The RSPH is the longest established 

public health organization in 

based international classical and 

fusion dancer Ratna Venkat, the 

Conference discussed issues of 

common interest, the Mission, 

Vision and Progress of GOPIO in the 

Oceania region over the next five 

years and the need to work closely 

with various chapters. 

the United Kingdom. It is incorporated 

by Royal Charter. 

Mr Singham is a professional 

member of the Institute of Health 

Promotion and Education (UK) 

which is a recognised professional 

organisation to those engaged in the 

practice of Health Education and 

Health Promotion. 

A recognised professional qualification 

is usually required to become 

a member of the Institute of Health 

Promotion and Education. 

On completing his Diploma in 

Homeopathic Science, he joined the 

British Homeopathic Association in 

1998. 

About Mr Singham 

He is an Official Ambassador for 

the American Sexual Health Association. 

He is a Certified Sexologist of 

the American College of Sexologists 

(International). 

An ACS Certified Sex Educator 

will have credentials that qualify 

them to offer instruction, training 

and education in the field of human 

sexuality and sexology. 

He was admitted a Professional 

Member (MRSNZ) of the Royal 

Society of New Zealand in 2007. In 

addition to other requirements, the 

usual requisite is a PhD or Master’s 

qualification. In 1867 it started 

out as the New Zealand Institute. 

In 1867 the name was changed to 

Royal Society of New Zealand with 

the approval of King George V. 

New Zealand Sports Medicine 

Mr Singham was a Member of the 

New Zealand Sports Medicine for 

three years. 

Sports Medicine New Zealand 

Ratna Venkat performing the ‘Ganesh Vandana’ dance 

Among those who participated 

in the discussions were Adam 

Zimmerman, Professor Balkar Singh 

Kang, Harjit Singh, Harmohan Singh 

Walia, Jagdish Lodhia, Mannu Kala, 

Pradeep Kapoor, Pushpinder Oberoi, 

Raveen Bhairo, Shyam Das, Suman 

Kapoor, Usha Chandra, Vanita 

Khushal and Vikas Sinha. 

Dr Sonia Singh was the Moderator. 

Chapter Reports were presented 

by Professor Balkar Singh Kang 

(President GOPIO Sydney North 

West) Vanita Khushal (President 

GOPIO Queensland) Pradeep Kapoor 

and Suman Kapoor (Past and 

Present GOPIO Waikato, New Zealand) 

Harjit Singh (GOPIO Botany, 

Auckland). 

Strategies for the future 

“GOPIO Chapters in the Oceania 

region are keen to develop strategies 

to make this world body more effective 

and relevant to keep in line with 

the evolving trends and increasing 

Indian population. Fiji is now an 

important entity in GOPIO Oceania 

region. Ratna Venkat presented 

Kathak and Fusion dance items,” Ms 

Kapoor said. 

(SMNZ) is a non-profit making 

multidisciplinary organisation for 

all health professionals and other 

groups and individuals interested 

in community health, with special 

reference to the principles of sports 

medicine and exercise science. 

Admission to the body as a 

full member is reportedly an 

honour. It was bestowed on him in 

recognition of his contributions, to 

sports, health, alternative medicine 

and physical education for several 

years. 

He is a Registered Medical 

Practitioner (RMP). 

Mr Singham was an Associate of 

the Faculty of Public Health in 2005 

and 2006. 

His articles frequently appear 

in magazines, scientific journals, 

books and community newspapers.


Communitylink 

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22 Communitylink 

Workshops promote community awareness on social issues 

Roopa Aur Aap Trust sets a trend in voluntary service 

Venkat Raman 


Amdist a plethora of 

self-servers, there are 

a few do-gooders who 

dwelve into neglected 

areas of vulnerable people and 

provide them solace and support, 

adding to the oft-forgotten adage 

that ‘every beneficary adds to 

indvidiual reward. 

Roopa Suchdev, Chief 

Executive and Project Manager 

of Roopa Aur Aap Trust, based 

in Mt Roskill, Auckland, is one 

such person, to whom the cancer 

of family violence and elderly 

abuse is as bad as the one that 

grows within the body. 

Her service to the eradidation 

of the social cancer has seen palpable 

differnece in recent years 

and this year-end Report is a 

tribute to her selfless disposition. 

We do not adulate Ms Suchdev 

for the sake of it; for, Indian 

Newslink has been associated 

with her and her works longer 

than any other media can claim. 

However, the results of her 

endeavour need to be shared, not 

only for recording the depth of 

progress achieved in otherwise 

unchartered waters but also 

as an source of inpsiration for 

others who are keen to serve our 

communities. 

Rising Family Harm 

Family Harm, perpetrated by 

Women discussing family violence issues at the Papatoetoe 

Workshop 

Family Violence is a social menace 

that is on the rise in the South 

Asian community in general and 

among people of Indian origin 

in particular over the past few 

years. 

Ms Suchdev said that family 

violence remains a critical social 

issue for New Zealanders. 

“Any development project 

involving upliftment or progress 

of the society should be inclusive 

and targeted at eradicating and 

creating awareness about the 

evils of family violence and the 

underlying damages it causes to 

everyone including the perpetrator. 

Roopa Aur Charitable Trust 

has been trying to educate and 

create awareness amongst the 

South Asian Community for 

several years, aiming to eliminate 

physical, mental, psychological 

and sexual abuse from the core of 

the family system,” she said. 

Successful Workshops 

Roopa Suchdev and Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust Executive Committee Member Rani 

Nalam at the ‘Elder Abuse’ Workshop held at Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall 

The Trust conducted its third 

workshop on ‘Investing in 

Aucklanders and Understanding 

Immigration Laws’ on October 

30, 2017 in the South Auckland 

suburb of Papatoetoe. 

A ‘Fusion Workshop,’ the event 

was held with the support of 

‘Woman Care Trust’ and Auckland 

Council, whose research-based 

analysis was useful. 

The workshop focused on family 

violence linked to immigration 

laws. 

“It is trite knowledge that a 

spouse withdraws visa support 

leaving the partner to struggle 

with no means to start working 

and living independently after 

going through traumatic family 

violence while in relationship. In 

most cases, the partner does not 

lodge a formal complaint with 

the Police and hence Immigration 

New Zealand and the legal system 

are unaware of the abuses faced 

by victims. Our Trust has been 

providing support to many such 

victims,” she said. 

This workshop was in line with 

the innovative changes proposed 

by the new Labour-led Coalition 

government through direct 

analysis of people’s difficulties 

and requirements. 

Care for the Community 

Although Ms Suchdev established 

Roopa Aur Aap Charitable 

Trust in 2008, her involvement 

in social work and community 

welfare dates back by 13 years, 

which included hands-on work 

with community groups and 

individuals through projects and 

through her ‘Roopa Aur Aap’ 

television programme. 

“Social problems have a brighter 

chance of resolution through 

societal awareness. Community 

involvement often decreases the 

chances of complex issues like 

family violence and elder abuse 

which encompasses critical factors 

like economic, psychological 

and physiological concerns of 

the abused and the offender. The 

South Asian Community of Auckland 

is also deeply engrossed with 

these complex social problems,” 

she said. 

Drain the Brain 

Elder members of the South 

Asian community had an opportunity 

to provide their experience 

and perspective on ‘Elder Abuse’ 

at the Fourth and Final Workshop 

of the Trust for 2017. Held at the 

Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall 

on Saturday, November 11, 2017, 

‘Drain the Brain,’ as it was called, 

cited true case studies. 

More than 150 men and 

women attended the interactive 

workshop, which tested their 

knowledge and awareness on 

the way in which our elders are 

abused. 

Ms Suchdev is a tireless worker 

who believes that abuse in any 

form is harmful to the community 

and the society and hence must 

be eliminated from its roots. 

“Roopa Aur Aap Charitable 

Trust,’ will continue its awareness 

and educative workshops with 

various other free support 

services for family violence-related 

victims, which includes 

counselling and family advocacy 

services,” she said. 

Family harm creates a slur on 

the society and the country. Its 

containment is the sacred duty of 

every individual. 

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24 Communitylink


Pray forDivine Deliverancethis Christmas 

Sunil Kaushal 

Itisthat time of year again. 

December has brought with 

it all the joys of Christmas. 

But what is the real 

meaningofChristmas? Is it 

the gifts underthe tree, the lights 

in the windows, the cardsinthe 

mail, turkey dinners withfamily 

and friends, stockings hanging 

in the livingroom, and shouts of 

“MerryChristmas”tothose who 

pass us in the streets? 

Is this really Christmas? 

Christmas is aParty.Specifically,it’saBirthdayParty,for 

Jesus; 

andbirthdays are meanttobe 

celebrated. 

That is whywesay,“Merry 

Christmas!” 

Ironically,atmostChristmas 

parties,the person whose 

birthdayisbeing celebrated is 

completelyignored. He is never 

even mentioned. 

Although Jesus is the reason for 

the season, He is often overlooked 

or merely mentioned along with 

Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, 

Santa Claus,the Grinch,Elves, 

and along list of celebrated 

fictional characters. 

Time of Sorrow 

Formanypeople, Christmas is a 

time of sorrow.They do nothave 

the extra money to buy presents 

Mary’sBoy Child, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day. 

for their children, family and 

friends. 

Manyare saddened at 

Christmastime whenthey think 

of their loved ones who will not 

be able to come home for various 

reasons. Turkey dinners maybe 

only awish and not areality for 

some.For others, it is celebrating 

that they made it through another 

year or justtryingtosurvive. 

And time of Joy 

Yet, Christmas canbeaseason 

of great joy. It is atime of God 

showing His great love forus. 

It can be atime of healing and 

renewed strength. 

Christmas is when we celebrate 

the birth of the Christchild. 

God sent His Son, Jesus, into 

the world to be born. His birth 

brought great joytothe world. 

Shepherds,wise men, andangels 

all shared in the excitement of 

knowing about this great event. 

They knew this wasnoordinary 

baby. 

The Prophets had told of His 

coming hundreds of years earlier. 

The star stopped overBethlehem 

just to mark theway for 

those who were looking forthis 

special child. 

The Biblical Truth 

The Bible says in Luke2:4-19: 

“So, Joseph also went up from 

the town of Nazareth in Galilee to 

Judea, to Bethlehemthe town of 

David, because he belonged to the 

house and line of David. He went 

there to registerwith Mary,who 

was pledgedtobemarried to him 

and was expecting achild.While 

they werethere, the time came 

Christmas &New Year Special 

for the baby to be born, and she 

gave birth to her firstborn, ason. 

She wrapped him in cloths and 

placed him in amanger,because 

there was no room forthem in 

the inn. 

“And there were shepherds 

living out in the fields nearby, 

keeping watchovertheir flocks 

at night. An Angelofthe Lord 

appeared to them, andthe glory 

of the Lord shonearoundthem, 

and they were terrified. But the 

angelsaid to them, “Do notbe 

afraid. Ibringyou good news 

of great joythat willbefor all 

the people. Todayinthe town of 

David aSaviour has been born to 

you; he is Christthe Lord. 

God visiting us 

Whydid He come? Why 

did God send His sontothis 

sometimes cruel and hard world? 

He sent Jesus to us so that one 

day, He would grow up to become 

avery importantpart of history. 

His story (history) is oneoftruth, 

love,and hope. It brought salvation 

to all of us.Without Jesus, we 

would alldie in our sins. 

Jesus was born so one daythe 

price couldbepaid for the things 

we have done that are wrong.The 

Bible says that all havesinned. 

We areall born withasin 

nature. 

We do things that do not please 

God. 

Through the sins of Adam and 

Eve, we have all inherited that sin 

nature. 

25 

We needtohave that removed. 

The only wayisthrough Jesus. 

Jesus came so that He could die 

on the cross for all our sins. 

If we believe that Jesus died 

for our sins, we can askHim to 

come intoour heartsand forgive 

us. Then, we are clean and made 

whole. We can know that heaven 

is aplace wherewecangoto 

when this life is over. 

True Confession is Divine 

“But if we confess our sinsto 

him, he is faithful and just to 

forgive us our sinsand to cleanse 

us from all wickedness.” IJohn 

1:9 

We can truly be happyat 

Christmas!Nomatter what may 

be happening,wecan know that 

we are His children.Wethen 

become sons anddaughtersof 

God. Heaven will be our home 

one day. 

Look at Christmas in anew way 

this year.You will then have a 

“MerryChristmas.” 

The joyand peace youwill 

receivewill last all year as you 

look to God for all your needs to 

be met. 

Jesus Is the Reason forThe 

Season! Rejoice! 

Sunil Kaushal is VicePresident 

of Waitakere Indian Association, 

Chair of Ethnic Peoples 

Advisory Panelfor Auckland 

Council andSecretary General 

of India Trade Alliance. He 

has previously pastored in 

Auckland.w 

YOU ARE INVITED TO 

NEIGHBOURHOOD CAROLS 

The Crave Collective invitethe neighbours of 

Morningsidetojoin us for Christmas nibbles 

from 5.30pm and thenNeighbourhood Carols 

together from 6–7pm THIS SUNDAY. 

Sunday17December •5.30–7pm 

CraveCafe,6Morningside Dr,Morningside

26 



ThePrinceofPeacelives in your home 

Wenceslaus Anthony 

Christmas is the celebration 

of thebirthdayofJesus 

Christ born in the stable at 

Bethlehem. 

Two holy people who havehad 

agreat impact in my own life 

are St John Paul II and Blessed 

Saint MotherTeresa who had 

laid much emphasis on the 

importance of Family. 

Ishare some of their thoughts 

for your reflection. 

We see the images of the Holy 

Family of Nazareth- Jesus, Mary 

and Joseph-inthe cribs displayed 

at manyplaces- in churches, 

public places, homes and even in 

some offices. 

Great reminder 

In amessage, Pope John Paul 

II said thatduring the Christmas 

period, our eyes will rejoice at 

the mystery of the Holy Family, 

just as childrenrejoice when they 

look at the crib, recognisinginit 

akind of prototype of their own 

family,the family within which 

they came into the world. 

This is agreat reminder to 

all of us to look into our own 

family and pray for peace within 

ourselves and in our family.That 

is the joyofour family to which 

we belong. 

St John Paul II further spoke 

about the greaterhuman family 

–humanity itself. 

He said that as he looked at 

families in the light of Christmas, 

he could notbut turn histhoughts 

to the greater human family, 

unfortunately torn by persistent 

forms of selfishnessand violence. 

The tragedy of war in manyparts 

of the world continues to produce 

countless victims evenamong 

innocent anddefenceless people. 

Following is abeautiful prayer 

of St John Paul II,which we could 

recite as we gazeatBabyJesus in 

the Crib during Christmas: 

“Wipe away, BabyJesus,the 

tears of children! Embrace the 

sick and theelderly! Move men 

to laydown their arms and to 

draw close in auniversal embrace 

of peace! Invite the peoples, 

Omerciful Jesus, to tear down 

the walls created by poverty and 

unemployment, by ignorance and 

indifference, by discrimination 

and intolerance. God of peace, 

gift of peacefor all of humanity, 

come to live in theheartofevery 

individual andofevery family. 

Be our peace and our joy! Amen!” 

Prayer for peace 

During this Christmas 

celebration of festivities, 

decorations, gifts, lunches, carols 

and dances- let us not forget the 

innocent anddefenceless people 

in our own family andingreater 

human family.Weneedtocare 

for themand pray forPeace. We 

need to radiate Peace whichisthe 

essence of Christmas. 

MotherTeresahas also spoken 

about alackoflove andour 

pursuit of success and riches. 

She said that love beginsat 

home; love lives in homes, and 

that is whythere is so much suffering 

and so much unhappiness 

in the world today. 

Everybody todayseems to be in 

such aterrible rush, anxious for 

greater developments and greater 

riches and so on, so that children 

have very little time with their 

parents.Parents have very little 

time for each other, and in the 

home begins the disruptionofthe 

peace of the world. 

Let us ponder what these two 

Holy People werespeaking to us 

and reflect on the Holy Family of 

Nazareth as we gazeatthe Crib – 

the family to whichJesus belongs. 

The family where Joy, Love and 

Peace reigned. 

Mayour family be theHoly 

Family. 

Iwish you Peaceaswe 

celebrate the PrinceofPeace 

and as St John Paul II said may 

we be the instrument to reach 

this Peace to families, children, 

women, elderly,the handicapped, 

who are often helpless victims of 

selfishness and neglectbysociety. 

Had Wenceslaus Anthonybeen 

alive, he would havewritten a 

new article for this Christmas 

&New Year Special. In his 

untimelyand sudden passing on 

July 23, 2017 at Apollo Hospital 

in Chennai, we lost our brother 

and the community adear 

friend. In his life time, he wrote 

for Indian Newslink readers on 

several subjects. Of these, his 

articlesonJesus Christ inspired 

piety and love. The above piece, 

published in our December 15, 

2015 issue, has been reproduced 

here as amark of remembrance 

and tribute to our kind Wenceslaus. 

We willremember him 

with fondness this Christmas.


Advertiser’s Announcement 


27 

Shoppers and guests with families at the Christmas Show at Hunters Plaza on December 2, 2017 ‘Peppa the Pig’ is amajor attraction at Hunters Corner Family Photo Shoot is aspecial feature during the Christmas season at Hunters 

Plaza (Picture by Marlise Meyer Photography) 

SantaGrottobrings the joyofChristmas to Hunters Corner 

HuntersPlaza is based in 

alow socio-economic 

demographic in the 

heart of the Papatoetoe, 

New Zealand community. 

Our budget is not huge at all. 

We decided to makethe most of 

it and stretched our thoughts for 

strategic plans to see us through 

Christmas withsomething magical 

for the communityand children. 

We had our Christmas Show 

on Saturday(December 2, 2017) 

with ‘Cheecky’ little ‘Peppa Pig.’ 

Although ‘The Peppa Pig Show’ 

was lovelyand we hadhundreds 

and hundreds of people show up, 

this wasnotwhatstolethe hearts 

of people. 

Going back in time 

It was our Santa Grotto that took 

the community’sbreathaway! 

It was nothing likeyourusual 

Grotto;ittookyou back to the 

storiesofold, with a fire place 

cracklingalong,softmusic 

playing, andvintagetoysand trees 

completing the scene. Itwas an 

atmospherethat wassomagical 

that you just wanted to stayinthat 

moment and not leave it! 

Our Santa Grotto has hadahuge 

impact on ourvisitorsand we 

trust that it will continue to do so 

in the next few weeks to come. 

Free Family Photo 

FromDecember 16, 2017, every 

family can have afamily photo 

taken free of cost. 

They simplymust showustheir 

receipt of spending $20 or more at 

the Centre to qualify. 

We will askthem to collect the 

photos overthe next fewdaysto 

encourage repeat visitation. 

The Printer, Cartridgesand 

Photopaper aresponsoredby 

Noel Leeming,one of our retailers 

at theCentre. 

Letter to Santa 

Children get to write aletter 

to Santa. The letter should be 

droppedinto the Special mailbox 

in Santa’sGrotto. 

Oneletter will be drawn on 

December 23, 2017. The winning 

child will receive oneofthe toys 

listedintheir letter to Santaand 

afamilyshoot withour onsite 

photographer Marlise Meyer 

Photography. 

We believe this offer will entice 

visitation to the centre,create 

curiosityand opportunity. 

Ph. 092504301 

507 Great South Road ,Otahuhu 

PRE BOXING DAY SALE NOWON!


28 Christmas & New Year Special 

Model Of the Fortnight 

Cultural agility extends to concern for the penury 

The report on Child Poverty 

that hit the headlines 

on December 7, 2017, 

occupying sections of 

our Homelink and Viewlink 

would be of immense interest to 

Ankita Sharma, our Model of the 

Fortnight. 

Believing as she does that 

human beauty manifests itself on 

the uplift of the downtrodden, her 

humane approach deserves to be 

extolled and emulated. 

A North Indian by origin, Ankita 

was born in Mumbai, but raised 

in the Cantonments of the Indian 

Air Force, where her father was a 

fighter pilot. 

Inimitable qualities 

A hero of many wars, including 

the Kargil engagement, the 

Pilot has instilled in his daughter 

inimitable qualities of dedication, 

perseverance, commitment and 

most important of all, an innate 

concern for the unfortunate. 

That quality shines through 

Ankita, whose affable manners 

are a source of endearment for 

her select circle of friends and 

colleagues. 

Her upbringing in varied vicissitudes 

has made her culturally 

agile and adaptive. 

“I love meeting people from 

various ethnic backgrounds 

and Auckland provides the best 

setting,” she said. 

Shining Volunteer 

Ankita has been involved in 

several volunteer roles since her 

school days; these have varied 

from teaching poor children in 

their early years and managing 

differently-abled teenagers to 

holding quiz contests for expatriates. 

Arriving in New Zealand to 

pursue her graduate course (BSc) 

with Physics as the major subject, 

Ankita became a software tester 

by profession and a Group Consul 

at InterNations, a global network 

of expatriates – in the case of New 

Zealand, ethnic groups. 

She is also a member of ‘Happy 

Auckland’ community, at which 

she collaborates with like-minded 

people to make Auckland a 

happier place. 

Intellectual stimulation 

Beyond fashion, theatre, dancing 

and singing, Ankita is adept at 

intellectual topics, metaphysics, 

arts and theatre. 

A voracious reader and an 

equally passionate writer, her 

piece of work has been published 

in the USA through writing 

workshops. 

Her other hobbies include 

traveling, sports, cooking, baking. 

Her cultural engagements 

have included dancing for the 

‘Summer Funk’ of Shiamak 

Davar, renowned as the ‘Guru of 

Contemporary Dance’ in India. 

She has also performed in English, 

Bengali and Hindi plays and 

presented solo and classical group 

dances at the National Council for 

Performing Arts, Mumbai. 

-Venkat Raman 

Pictures by Ronny Kumaran 

If you wish to be featured as our 

‘Model of the Fortnight,’ please 

write to editor@indiannewslink. 

co.nz


WHAT’S DIFFERENT 

ATTEMPTATION 

No. 016 

On August 3rd 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail on 

his historic voyage to the New World in three ships; 

Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. After sighting San 

Salvador,Pinta left the fleet in search of gold, and with 

only two ships, an angry Columbus discovered Haiti, 

but the next day his flagship Santa Maria hit areef and 

was wrecked. Columbus continued in the remaining 

Nina, and after a224-day voyage, he returned on 

March 15th, 1493. By sheer coincidence, the mutinous 

Pinta independently arrived home afew hours later. 

Spot the 10 Differences 

“Well knock me over with afeather Doug...for once you’re right, twenty minutes in the hot car was 

enough to melt the dog!” 

SNAP DECISION No. 006 

Use the photos to find the answer: what Freud does 

No. 006 

NINA 

PINTA 

+ SANTA 

= MARIA 

In the addition sum different letters 

represent different digits. Rewrite 

the sum using the following digits: 

PI T 

12345678 

Solution to Attemptation No. 005 

E V O H N I W 

0 1 2 3 5 6 7 

albert.haddad@attemptation.com 

JUMBLE No. 1739 SUDOKU No. 1060 HI 

TODAY’S TARGET 

16 Words Good 

20 Words Very Good 

24 Words Excellent 

28 Words Genius 

SOLUTION TO 1738 

agent aglet agree 

angel anger angle 

angler cage clang 

clanger crag eager 

eagle eaglet eagre 

egret elegant encage 

enlarge enrage erlang 

gale garnet gate gean 

gear gene general 

genet genre gentle 

glace glance glare 

glean gleaner glee 

THE RULES 

gleet glen gnarl gnat 

How many words of 4 letters or more can you make from grace grant grantee 

these 9 letters? In making a word each letter may be grate great green greet 

used only once, and the centre letter must be included. lager large legate 

There must be at least one 9-letter word. No slang, foreign 

words, plurals, hyphens or apostrophes. 

negate neglect rage 

rang range reagent 

RECTANGLE regal 

regale regent reglet 

regnal tang tangle 

telega 

CROSSWORD No. 11908 

ACROSS 

3 Embarrass 

6 Deed 

8 Biblical king 

9 Row 

10 Damp 

12 Attempt 

14 Room 

17 Mournful poems 

19 Car driver 

20 Snake 

21 Of sound mind 

22 US city 

24 Becomes visible 

27 Pluck 

29 Rowing pole 

30 Passenger plane 

32 Occurring 

immediately 

34 Pigment 

35 Exclusive of 

deductions 

36 Opinions 

37 Leave out 

38 Burst 

39 Pronoun 

40 Rot 

DOWN 

1 Gorge 

2 Mistakes in printing 

3 Stick fast 

PREVIOUS ANSWERS 

Crossword No. 11907 

Thinklink 

4 Type of cheese 

5 Conceal 

6 Painter 

7 Child’s playthings 

11 Network fabric 

13 Newspaper employee 

15 Defer 

16 Musical performance 

18 Of the stomach 

23 Rock 

25 Minister 

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

6 In general, man 

accepts calendar (7) 

7 Corn provides about 

right profit (5) 

9 2made present 

bishop’s area (3) 

10 Bad rates including 

certain valuables (9) 

12 Leading player 

instructed to begin 

with deception? (5,6) 

15 Stick to policy: don’t 

put the phone down 

(4,3,4) 

17 Strengthen the power 

of restraint (9) 

19 Threaten animal into 

submission? (3) 

21 In their wages, Poles 

get a flower? (5) 

22 The vocation of the 

visitor? (7) 

DOWN 

1 Despondency of 

university players? 

(5) 

2 Eyed cutting tool (3) 

3 Tear up about a 

couple (4) 

H A I D S M A R C H 

R E A L M C L I P U 

L A I D E E P O C H 

P E A R T N I N E K 

A N I M A T E D A M O S 

N R T L E S I O N 

I I S O S C E L E S O 

C E N T R E E E O 

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4 Basic instruction in 

prevention of flying? 

(9) 

5 Mean enough to 

put learner in great 

unhappiness (7) 

8 Initially looks terrible, 

but is altogether 

legal (6) 

11 A home to fly to (5,4) 

13 Where the pupils get 

bigger, of course (6) 

26 Locate 

27 Lustrous 

28 Breathe in 

31 Is at ease 

32 Move slowly 

33 Eager 

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14 Supervisor of one 

farm (7) 

16 Prepared to spring 

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18 Applaud pound in 

award for selection 

for team (4) 

20 Do up about fifty 

which are aged (3) 

Sudoku No. 1059 Cryptic No. 17558 

Across: 7 Non-combatants; 

8 Remained; 9 More; 

10 Attend; 12 Nodose; 

14 Proper; 16 Attire; 

18 Rods; 20 Clearing; 

22 Bare necessity. 

Down: 1 Forester; 

2 Scrape; 3 Omen; 

4 Gardenia; 5 Jammed; 

6 Stir; 11 Directed; 

13 Serenata; 15 Pasted; 

17 Thrash; 19 Opal; 

21 Ever. 

Snap Decision No. 005 What’s Different No. 015 Attemptation No. 005 

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30 Classifiedlink/Entertainmentlink 

Sitarist Harvinder Sharma to perform in Auckland 

Sargam School of Indian Music sets the stage for its Annual Concert 

Venkat Raman 


Pandit Harvinder Sharma, 

one of the most respected 

and highly proficient Sitar 

maestros will perform in 

Auckland on Friday, December 15, 

2017 at 7 pm at the Blockhouse 

Bay Community Centre, located at 

Blockhouse Bay Road, Blockhouse 

Bay. 

He will be accompanied by 

Tabla Master Basant Madhur and 

his nephew Akhil Madhur. 

The two-day Anniversary 

Programme will continue on 

Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 5 

pm at the same venue. Students 

learning Vocals, Sitar, Tabla and 

Violin will perform at the threehour 

concert, giving vent to their 

artistic talents. 

Since its establishment in 2006, 

the Sargam School of Music has 

been a citadel of learning for 

people of varied ethnicity and 

culture. 

“Our objective is to be an ideal 

education centre teaching Indian 

Classical vocal and instrumental 

music and present concerts with 

the participation of our students, 

other local performers and 

maestros such as Chaurasia. We 

are proud of our students who 

belong to various ethnic groups 

including Indian, Sri Lankan, 

Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Afghani, 

Chinese, Malaysian, Fijian, Tongan, 

South African and American 

origin,” Basant said. 

As well as supporting his 

students at their performances 

in New Zealand, he accompanies 

Matrimonial 

internationally renowned artistes 

during their tour of New Zealand 

including Pandits Vishwa Mohan 

Bhatt, Ronu Majumdar, Ustad 

Fazal Qureshi, Dr Kadri Gopalnath, 

Patri Satish Kumar and now 

Pandit Harvinder Kumar. 

Exceptional Artiste 

A disciple of Ustad Vilayat 

Hussain Khan of Imadadkhani 

Gharana, Pandit Sharma evinced 

keen interest at the tender age of 

five and presented his first public 

performance when he was just 

nine years old. 

He was later groomed by his father 

Meghraj Sharma and trained 

by illustrious guides including the 

Late Professor Jitender Kumar 

and Dr R D Verma. 

Distinct Styles 

Pandit Sharma has developed 

a distinct style of elaborating 

Raga through Khayal ang on 

Sitar, which is the true essence of 

‘Imadadkhani Gharana.’ 

Upholding the traditional glory 

of this Gharana, he is also known 

for innovation and Jugalbandi in 

Classical and Popular Music. 

His experimentation with sitar 

on folk music and various forms 

of light music constantly enrich 

and upgrade his style. 

In recognition of his meritorious 

achievements and outstanding 

commitment to music, he has 

been bestowed with innumerable 

awards and honours by prestigious 

organisations and the State 

Government of Haryana. 

These include ‘Surmani 

Award’ (1987), the Haryana State 

Government Award on 56th 

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Republic Day (2006), the ‘Pandit 

Lakshmi Chand State Award 

(2012), ‘Karam Yogi Award’ 

(2012), ‘Prashashti Patra’ on 65th 

Republic day (2015). 

Globe Trotter 

He has held concerts and 

musical performances in major 

cities of India, Australia, Canada, 

France, Germany, Holland, New 

Zealand, Poland, Russia and the 

United Arab Emirates. 

Pandit Sharma was selected by 

the Indian Council for Cultural 

Relations, New Delhi as a Lecturer 

and Performer and deputed 

to the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural 

Centre located at the Indian 

Embassy in Moscow from March 

1989 to September 1992. 

During this period, he taught 

and trained many Russian 

students in Indian Classical Music 

and presented Concerts in several 

European countries. 

Obtaining his PhD in Music 

from the Kurukshetra University 

in Haryana, Pandit Sharma has 

been teaching Music for more 

than 32 years in various 

government colleges of Haryana, 

Chandigarh and abroad. 

He retired as Principal from 

Government Post Graduate 

College, Kalka in May 2015. 

Shashi Kapoor ends a fine chapter of thespians 

Apurva Shukla 

Indian cinema lost one of its 

most versatile and handsome 

actors with the passing way of 

Shashi Kapoor. 

The 79-year-old lost his battle to 

liver cancer on December 4, 2017. 

The youngest son of actor 

Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor’s 

initiation to cinema happened 

when he was young, playing the 

role of young Raj Kapoor in Aag 

(1948). 

The incredibly good-looking actor 

made his debut in Yash Chopra’s 

Dharmputra’’ in 1961, although the 

much-needed breakthrough was 

with the breezy romantic ‘Jab Jab 

Phool Khile’’ in 1964. 

Success upon Success 

Boasting of a successful music 

score and the fresh pairing of 

Nanda and Shashi Kapoor, the film 

primarily shot in Kashmir, proved 

a winner. 

The following year saw him 

display his comic abilities in the 

multi-starrer ‘Pyar Kiye Jaa,’ a 

remake of the Tamil hit ‘Kathalikka 

Neramillai.’ 

This film was a template of the 

trajectory that Shashi Kapoor’s 

career would follow in commercial 

cinema. He was a secure actor, 

comfortable in sharing screen 

space with other actors, but still 

being able to leave a mark. 

Shashi Kapoor 

Theatre lover 

Born in Kolkata, Shashi Kapoor 

was a true inheritor of his father’s 

love for theatre. He joined him at 

Prithvi Theatre at the age of 15 and 

was then a part of ‘Shakespeareana.’ 

Run by an Englishman, Geoffrey 

Kendal, it was here that he met 

Geoffrey’s daughter and his future 

wife Jenifer. He also set up the 

‘Prithvi Theatre’’ as a permanent 

entity in 1978. 

Shashi Kapoor was one of the 

first actors from India to star in 

lead roles in international cinema. 

His association with the international 

team of producer-director 

Ismail Merchant-David Ivory, 

started with ‘Householder’ in 1963 

and continued with six more films, 

including ‘Shakespeare-Wallah’ 

and the highly successful ‘Heat 

and Dust’ (1983), in which he had 

essayed the role of a stylish Nawab. 

Masala Entertainers 

The 1970s and 1980s were 

dominated by multi-starrer action 

films. 

The charming actor, with a 

crooked and contagious smile, 

was a perfect fit for these masala 

entertainers. His prominent 

releases of the period included 

‘Trishul,’ ‘Suhaag’ and probably the 

best supporting act ever in Hindi 

cinema- his portrayal of Inspector 

Ravi in ‘Deewar.’ 

In 1978, he formed his own 

production company – ‘Filmvalahs.’ 

The company provided him 

avenues to spread his wings as a 

serious actor. 

Financial loss 

He produced and acted in critically 

successful films like ‘Junoon,’ 

‘Vijeta,’ and the excellent ‘Kalyug.’ 

A modern-day adaptation of 

the ‘Mahabharata,’ it was set in a 

corporate environment. 

Kalyug makes for a gripping 

watch even today. He suffered 

major financial losses in his 1984 

production ‘Utsav.’ 

Two years later, he won the 

National Award for his portrayal 

of an upright editor in the political 

thriller, ‘New Delhi Times.’ 

The Indian government honoured 

him with ‘Padma Bhushan’ 

in 2011. 

He received the ‘Dadasaheb 

Phalke’ Award in 2015. 

He forayed into direction with 

‘Ajooba,’ in 1991 but the fantasy adventure 

proved a disappointment 

at the box office. 

Shashi Kapoor was one of 

the most popular stars of Hindi 

cinema. 

He closed the Chapter of the 

Kapoor Brothers, reminding us that 

death spares none.


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32 Entertainmentlink 

Boxing Day promises an evening of Tamil hits 

Venkat Raman 


Music, dance, mimicry 

and announcement 

of details of a Short 

Film Contest are all a 

part of the Boxing Day Gift being 

offered by the Auckland Tamil 

Association. 

Titled, ‘Mannil Intha Kaathal’ 

(‘Love on this Earth’), the event 

will be held from 6 pm on 

Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at the 

Freeman’s Bay Community Hall in 

Auckland City. 

Yugendran Vasudevan will be 

the star of the evening with his 

innate talent to entertain men, 

women and children. 

Indefatigable Vasudevan 

Children of playback singers 

rarely achieve the talent and fame 

of their parents, especially in the 

Tamil film industry, which has 

curiously promoted, throughout 

its history more from the 

neighbouring States of Telangana, 

Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, than 

from within its own borders. 

Tamil Nadu is also known for 

enabling foreign talent to flourish, 

which is how and why singers 

like the Late Malaysia Vasudevan 

achieved fame and fortune 

through his melodious voice 

that suited almost every actor on 

whom scenes were picturised. 

The eighth and youngest 

child of a family of indentured 

labourers from Kerala, Vasudevan 

(Nair) honed his singing prowess 

aligning himself with artistes 

and singers in Malaysia. Later, 

he made an unsuccessful bid to 

become a hero in the Tamil film 

industry; but became their voice 

as they lisped songs for hundreds 

of sequences. 

In a career that spanned almost 

four decades, Vasudevan rendered 

more than 8000 songs, averaging a 

new song in every 30 hours. 

It is now a matter of gratification 

that his eldest son, Yugendran 

has turned out to be more than 

a chip-off the old block. He is 

a successful singer and more 

importantly, an acclaimed actor in 

Tamil films. 

It is also a matter of pride that 

he is currently a New Zealand 

resident. 

He was seen briefly at the 

Diwali Celebrations of Auckland 

Tamil Association held on November 

5, 2017 at the Freeman’s Bay 

Community Hall. 

He will appear at the same 

venue under the same banner on 


Tribute to music maestros 

Yugendran will undoubtedly render 

‘Mannil Intha Kaathal,’ a song 

written by Pavalar Varadarajan for 

the 1990 Tamil film ‘Keladi Kanmani,’ 

which was rendered in a single 

breath by S P Balasubrahmanyam. 

Auckland Tamil Association 

President Vai Ravindran said that 

Yugendran will also present an 

exclusive 30-minute segments each 

of A R Rahman and Ilayaraja hits. 

“There will also be a special 

‘Request Session’ during which 

Yugendran will render the choice of the audience. 

Several local singers including Aswathy 

Sasidharan, Jayashree Sitaraman, Shankar 

Narayanan, and Srisudha Nampally, will join him 

at the Concert,” he said. 

Mr Ravindran said that a dance number 

by Ratna Venkat and mimicry by Gokulraj 

Kothandaraman will be among the highlights of 

the Programme at which Murali Kumar will be 

the Master of Ceremonies. 

Short Film Contest 

If you are a movie buff with dreams of becoming 

a producer, director or actor, you should 

participate in ‘120 Hours,’ a Short Film Contest 

being organised by Yugendran. 

Registration is now open; it will close on 


‘120 Hours’ is a 

Yugendran joint venture 

with Venkat Prabhu (son 

of Gangai Amaran and 

nephew of Ilayaraja). 

Indian Newslink will 

announce, subject to 

confirmation, categories 

for participants in its three 

web editions on December 

20, 2017. 

Participating teams will 

be given five days to shoot 

three-to-five minutes of a 

short film, dub, edit and 

submit the final work with 

English subtitles within 120 

Hours from the time the 

email is sent to them. 

As a Christmas theme, 

participating teams must 

incorporate colour props 

in their short films, namely, 

Green, Red or White. 

The genres of their production 

will be a surprise 

element, which will be 

emailed to participants on 

December 20, 2017. The 

genre may include horror, 

thriller, comedy, romance 

or a public service message. 

Yugendran and Venkat 

Prabhu will be the judges 

and the winning movie 

will be uploaded on Venkat 

Prabhu’s Black Ticket Company’s 

YouTube channel. 

About Yugendran 

Vasudevan 

Yugendran Vasudevan 

For Sale unit 11 at $647k 

has acted with top South 

Indian artistes including 

Vijay in ‘Youth,’ ‘Bagavathy,’ 

‘Thirupatchi’ and with Ajith 

in ‘Poovellaam Un Vaasam’ 

as the main villain. 

His hit songs include 

the title track of ‘Parthein 

Rasithein,’ ‘Ithukku 

Enna Artham’ (‘Junction’), 

‘Muthan Muthaalai’ 

(‘Laysa Laysa’), ‘Oh 

Maria’ (‘Kadhalar Dhinam’), 

‘Thozha Thozha’ (‘Pandavar 

Bhoomi’), and ‘Adida’ 

(‘Goa’). 

He is also a Judge at ‘V 

Star,’ Singapore National 

Singing Competition. 

Entry tickets priced 

at $25 (adults) and $15 

(children) to ‘Mannil Intha 

Kaathal’ are on sale online 

at www.eventbrite.com/e/ 

mannili-intha-kathal-tickets-40793011997 

Tickets can also be 

purchased at S S Super 

Market, 578, Sandringham 

Road, Sandringham and 

Smart Deal Bazaar, 40 

Stoddard Road, 

Mt Roskill. 

For further information, 

please contact Vai 

Ravindran on 027-2758266; 

Email: vairavindran@ 

gmail.com; Website: www. 

aucklandtamilassociation. 

co.nz 

■ 2+2year lease. 

■ Returning $36,400.00 per year. 

■ Road front units available for lease 

■ Display unit open 10am-4pm every day 

Call Norma on 021-710298

Indian Newslink December 15, 2017 Digital Edition

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