Indian Newslink January 15 2018 Digital Edition

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

Issue 384 | January 15, 2018 | Free 

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Modi speaks to the ‘Mini World of 

Indian lawmakers’ in Delhi 

First PIO Parliamentary Conference marks a new dimension 

Venkat Raman 

venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Content Partnership with 

Radio New Zealand 

The Indian government 

took its ‘closer engagement 

with the Indian 

Diaspora’ to a new level 

on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 with 

the inauguration of a Conference 

with Parliamentarians of Indian 

origin from various parts of the 

world. 

An External Affairs Ministry 

initiative, primarily that of 

External Affairs Minister Sushma 

Swaraj, the Conference brought 

together 120 lawmakers from 23 

countries. 

Not all of them were elected 

membaers of Parliament but 

comprises elected representatives 

of people into local governments 

as well. 

The New Zealand delegation 

comprised Kanwaljit Singh 

Bakshi, Dr Parmjeet Parmar 

(National List) and Priyanca 

Radhakrishnan (Labour List) and 

Kapiti Coast Mayor K Gurunathan, 

an Indian of Malaysian 

origin. 

India at heart 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

said that while many people may 

have left India over the course 

of hundreds of years, India 

continues to have a place in their 

minds and hearts. 

“It is not surprising that 

people of Indian origin have 

integrated themselves fully with 

Suzannah Jessep, Acting High Commissioner at the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi with (from left) Kanwaljit 

Singh Bakshi, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, K Gurunathan and Dr Parmjeet Parmar (Picture supplied) 

their adopted lands. While they 

have kept the Indian-ness alive 

in themselves, they have also 

imbibed the language, food, and 

dress of those countries,” he said. 

Describing the assembly as a 

‘Mini World Parliament of Indian 

Origin,’ he said Persons of Indian 

Origin (PIO) are today Prime 

Ministers of Mauritius, Portugal 

and Ireland and that 

PIO have also been Heads of 

State and Heads of Government 

in many other countries. 

Changing impressions 

“The global impression about 

India has changed over the last 

three to four years because India 

is transforming itself. The hopes 

and aspirations of India are at 

an all-time high and signs of 

irreversible change are visible in 

every sector,” he said. 

Mr Modi said that Ms Swaraj 

has been continuously keeping an 

eye on issues faced by Indian citizens 

abroad. The ‘MADAD’ portal 

for real time monitoring and 

response of consular grievances 

has been active, he said. 

“We believe that Non-Resident 

Indians (NRIs) are partners in 

India’s development. NRIs have 

an important position in the 

Action Agenda till 2020, drafted 

by the NITI Aayog,” he said. 

Civilisation values 

Mr Modi said that the values 

of Indian civilisation and culture 

can provide guidance to the entire 

world, in an era of instability. 

“India has very close ties with 

ASEAN countries, which will be 

showcased during the Republic 

Day celebrations on January 26, 

2018,” he said. 

India on Tuesday reached out 

to lawmakers of Indian origin 

spread across the world seeking 

support for its emerging status as 

a global power. 

Ms Swaraj had two dimensions- 

the present situation and 

the past struggle; and what the 

PIO Parliamentarians can do to 

promote the emerging India on 

the global scene. 

Radio New Zealand (RNZ) 

and Indian Newslink 

have announced a 

‘Content-Sharing 

Partnership’ with effect from 

January 8, 2018. 

Indian Newslink publishes a 

fortnightly newspaper with a 

readership of more than 65,000, 

making it the most-read Indian 

newspaper in New Zealand. 

It also runs several news 

websites such as http://www. 

indiannewslink.co.nz, and is 

prominent in organising a number 

of awards for the New 

Zealand Indian community. 

The new arrangement maintains 

RNZ’s policy of sharing 

content with media partners 

and extends to 13 the number 

of agreements in place with a 

range of media organisations. 

Helpful Partner 

Glen Scanlon, RNZ’s head of 

digital, said that the Agreement 

with Indian Newslink was in 

keeping with RNZ’s push to 

work with different media 

outlets and reach more New 

Zealanders. 

“We really want to be a helpful 

partner to the broader journalism 

industry and believe 

these kinds of deals allow us to 

do that while making sure we 

meet all of our charter commitments 

to reach Kiwis with their 

stories. We expect to announce 

more partnerships in the future,” 

he said. 

Editor and General Manager 

of Indian Newslink, Venkat 

Raman, emphasised the importance 

of the new relationship. 

Accuracy and Speed 

“While accuracy is paramount 

and sacred to any news 

organisation, speed is equally 

important in today’s world, 

which constantly looks for news 

updates. Digital technology 

makes that requirement standard, 

and our tie-up with Radio 

New Zealand will also enhance 

credibility and quality. 

“This is an exciting development 

in media relationship and 

we in Indian Newslink look forward 

to meaningful and professional 

partnership with Radio 

New Zealand. 

“The South Asian community 

is of growing importance to 

New Zealand and to the world 

and we believe that with Radio 

New Zealand, we will be in a 

better position to disseminate 

information through reports 

and features,” he said. 

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JANUARY 15, 2018 

02 Homelink 

“Let us do at least small things with love” 

A great message from Saint Mother Teresa 

Saint Mother Teresa founded 

the Missionaries of Charity, 

a Roman Catholic religious 

congregation which consisted 

of over 4000 sisters. 

The Missionaries are active in 

over 100 countries around the 

world. 

Saint Mother Teresa opened 

hospices where the poor received 

medical attention. The opportunity 

to die with dignity and in accordance 

with their faith is the right of 

everyone- Muslims read the Holy 

Quran, Hindus received the Holy 

waters of the Ganges, and Catholics 

receive a ceremonial anointment. 

The Saint’s Teachings 

Saint Mother Teresa and her 

sisters reached out to anyone and 

to everyone, offering practical help, 

no matter their race, no matter 

their faith or religion, no matter 

their social status. 

I would like to say a couple of 

quotes and then to bring the life 

and work of Mother Teresa to 

Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The first quote, “Let us not be 

satisfied with just giving money. 

Money is not enough, money can 

be got, but they need our hearts 

to love them. So, spread your love 

everywhere you go.” 

The second quote, “If you cannot 

feed a hundred people, then feed 

just one.” 

Highest homelessness 

Many of you would probably 

know, that in Aotearoa New 

Zealand, we have now the highest 

rate of homelessness in the OECD. 

I see this every day in my office 

in Otara, Auckland. So many 

families come in asking for assistance 

since I became a member of 

Parliament. 

These families worked full time, 

and yet could not cannot make 

ends meet. 

South Auckland example 

Bringing this quote from Saint 

Mother Teresa, I would like to 

talk about an example not from 

my electorate but from South 

Auckland. 

Many of you would have seen 

this, covered in the media quite a 

lot. 

A young boy would walk to 

school every day. Every day, while 

walking, he would go past an 

elderly gentleman. This gentleman 

was Pakeha. 

What he would notice, is that this 

gentleman was crying. One day, he 

stopped, and asked him “Why are 

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you crying?” He found out from 

this gentlemen that not only had 

he recently lost his wife but he also 

lost his full-time job. 

What we know from media 

coverage, is this young boy 

would share his lunch with this 

gentleman. 

What he did not know though, 

was this was the one thing this 

gentleman looked forward to every 

day. Not just the sharing of the 

food, but the care and the love that 

he felt from this young child. 

The lesson that I wanted us to 

take from this, is this is what Saint 

Mother Teresa did every day. One 

of the things that she taught us is, 

as I got back to the quote “if you 

can’t feed 100 people, then feed just 

one.” 

Do not judge others 

She was also really good at giving 

us quotes about not judging other 

people. 

This is also a lesson that I take to 

heart from Saint Mother Teresa. 

From all the families that come 

to see me, especially the ones who 

live in cars, the ones who live in garages, 

the ones who live in working 

sheds, they work full-time. They 

have given me an understanding 

that we should not judge. We 

should not judge people, we should 

not think they are choosing to 

live like this. Many of our families 

nowadays do not. 

When we know the statistics 

from stats NZ in 2013 and it tells us 

we have over 41,000 that are living 

in these sorts of conditions, it does 

actually say to us that there is so 

much more we can do. 

This is not Politics 

Not just at a political level, I am 

not here to give a political speech. 

I am here just to say that all of us, 

as human beings, when reflecting 

on the love and kindness of Saint 

Mother Teresa, this is something in 

which we could all assist. 

If I can say two more quotes 

from Saint Mother Teresa. 

First, “Stay where you are. Find 

your own Calcutta. Find the sick, 

the suffering and the lonely right 

there where you are.” 

Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, 

we have thousands that we can 

assist. 

I would like to end with these 

words, again from Saint Mother 

Theresa. 

“Not all of us can do great things, 

but we can do small things with 

great love.” 

Progressive elder 

If I could go back to that young 

boy from Manurewa. The elderly 

gentleman that he assisted, he is 

now working full-time. He now has 

a house, but he does credit some 

of turning his life around from 

just the kindness, the love and the 

sharing from this young boy. 

Imagine, if all of us could be like 

him and like Saint Mother Teresa. 

If we can love, be kind and share 

with each other, how much more 

lives we can touch. 

I can say that it is not just that I 

see families asking for assistance, it 

is also that I have lived this life, my 

family were once homeless. 

So, I do understand, one of the 

things we would like to do is address 

homelessness in this country. 

Jenny Salesa is Ethnic 

Communities and Building and 

Construction Minister of New 

Zealand. The above is an extract 

of a highly emotional and relevant 

speech that she delivered at the 

Eighth Annual Saint Mother Teresa 

Interfaith Meeting held on Sunday, 

November 26, 2017 at Christ the 

King Catholic Church, Mt Roskill, 

Auckland. 

A report on this event appeared 

in our December 1, 2017 issue of 

Indian Newslink. 

Jenny Salesa is known for her 

sincere compassion for the poor 

and as a Minister of the Labour 

Government, she now has the 

mandate to implement reforms 

to help the poor and needy, who, 

we fallaciously believe, do not 

exist in New Zealand. Ms Salesa 

is herself an example of an 

impoverished child who rose to 

high positions of authority with 

a combination of self-determination 

and opportunity. 

Jenny Salesa speaking at the Eighth 

Annual Saint Mother Teresa Interfaith 

Meeting held on November 26, 2017 

in Auckland (Picture by Sai Bedekar, 

Creative Eye Fotographics) 

INZ to process all student visas in Mumbai 

Immigration New 

Zealand (INZ) has 

announced that it will 

process student visas 

for Indians and rest of 

the world except China in 

Mumbai. 

The Beijing Office will 

process student visas for 

Chinese students. 

INZ will reduce the 

number of offshore 

processing offices from 17 

to just five over the next 

two years. Six offshore 

offices including Ho Chi 

Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, 

Moscow, New Delhi and 

Shanghai will be closed 

and processing will 

cease in six other offices 

including Bangkok, Manila, 

Washington DC, Pretoria, 

Dubai and London. 

However, INZ will 

retain its presence in these 

cities to gather market 

intelligence, manage risk 

and carry out verification 

activities. 

New Model 

The changes are a part 

of a new Visa-Processing 

Model that INZ has decided 

to implement over the next 

two years, apparently after 

consultation with its staff. 

Head of Visa Services 

Steve Stuart said that the 

increasing popularity of 

online visa applications 

has provided the opportunity 

to develop a new 

model that will ensure 

faster, more accurate 

and consistent visa decision-making. 

More jobs here 

He said that the changes 

will also mean more jobs 

in New Zealand, bringing 

home a high volume of 

high-risk, high-value 

processing of visas. 

The changes also mean 

that INZ will shut its 

visa processing facility 

in Auckland Central and 

Henderson and relocate 

it to Manukau. The 

Department will enhance 

its presence in Hamilton, 

Palmerston North, Porirua 

and Christchurch, creating 

up to 60 new jobs. 

-Venkat Raman 

31093 INL 

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Three Indians on New Year Honours List 

Venkat Raman 


Three Indians feature 

on the New Year Honours 

List of Queen 

Elizabeth announced 

by the Office of the Governor 

General on December 30, 

2017. 

Parshotam Govind, Ray 

Raman Annamalai and 

Raewyn Bhana are to receive 

the Queen’s Service Medal 

(QSM) for their services to 

the community. 

Mr Govind has twice 

served as President of the 

Auckland Indian Association, 

which he joined in 1983. 

During previous service as 

Secretary, he was involved 

in the purchase of what is 

now the Mahatma Gandhi 

Centre (on Eden Terrace in 

Auckland), helping fundraise 

to pay for the property and 

refurbish the building. 

Mr Annamalai is being 

honoured for his special services 

to Tamil Culture, while 

Ms Bhana is being recognised 

for her community initiatives 

including campaign against 

family violence and family 

harm and Maori culture. 

The Order of New Zealand 

Cassia Joy Coles (known as 

Joy Cowley) is being inducted 

in to the ‘The Order of New 

Zealand,’ the country’s 

highest civilian honour. 

Ms Cowley, recognised for 

her services to New Zealand, 

has authored several books 

for children and is acknowledged 

for inculcating the 

reading habit in them. 

PM congratulates 

Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern said that although the 

Honours List was prepared 

by the previous National government, 

she was delighted 

to recognise exceptional New 

Zealanders. 

“As an aunty, I love 

reading books to my nieces, 

and hence it is lovely to 

congratulate Joy Cowley. Her 

extraordinary contribution 

to literature and literacy is 

treasured in New Zealand 

and internationally. She has 

brought delight to many 

young New Zealanders, as 

well as to those who read 

her books to them. Her work 

demonstrates the wonderful 

opportunity that authors 

have to not only engage and 

inspire but also educate,” she 

said. 

“As Minister for Arts, 

Culture and Heritage, I 

congratulate the 26 New 

Zealanders recognised for 

their contributions to arts 

and culture,” she added. 

Dames Companion 

Annette King, former Deputy 

Leader of Labour Party 

and a Minister under the 

Labour governments in the 

past, has been made ‘Dames 

Companion of the Order of 

New Zealand,’ a high honour 

of the ‘New Zealand Order of 

Merit.’ 

Ms Ardern described Ms 

King as “a mentor, colleague 

and friend.” 

“Annette’s example as a 

Cabinet Minister, Electorate 

MP and our longest serving 

woman MP, is one that 

members across Parliament 

strive to emulate. She is well 

respected across the political 

spectrum and loved by her 

community,” Ms Ardern said. 

Among others honoured 

as Dame Companion are 

Ms Rangimarie Naida 

Glavish, ONZM, Auckland, 

for services to Maori and the 

community; Denise Ann L’Estrange-Corbet, 

for services to 

fashion and the community; 

Georgina Manunui te Heuheu, 

Auckland, for services to 

the State and Maori. 

Knights Companion 

Four persons have been 

made Knights Companion, 

carrying the honorific of ‘Sir’ 

before their first name. 

They are former Minister 

and UnitedFuture Party 

(now wound up) Leader 

Peter Dunne for his services 

as Member of Parliament, 

Herbert Clarke, CNZM, 

Lower Hutt, for services to 

Maori and heritage preservation; 

Douglas White, QC, 

Wellington, for services to 

the judiciary; Bryan Williams 

for services to Rugby. 

Annette King 

(File Photo) 

Parshotam Govind 

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04 Homelink 

Political foray of Rajinikanth may further polarise Tamil Nadu 

Will ‘Spiritual Politics’ work in a maze of foes and fiends? 

Venkat Raman 


The announcement of 

Tamil film industry 

Superstar Rajinikanth on 

December 31, 2017 that 

he would enter politics ‘well in 

time for the general elections 

2021 and contest in all the 234 

constituencies,’ ended a 20-year 

old speculation as to ‘Will he, or 

Won’t he?’ among his millions 

of fans and supporters, apart 

from his adversaries including 

politicians. 

Announcing his decision from 

the balcony of ‘Raghavendra 

Kalyana Mandapam,’ a large 

marriage hall owned by him, 

Rajinikanth said, “Politics in the 

State has deteriorated very badly. 

Democracy has undergone severe 

decay. In the last year, the political 

events that unfolded in Tamil 

Nadu have made the people hang 

their heads in shame. Politicians 

in all States are laughing at us. If 

don’t do anything in a democratic 

way to change this situation, the 

feeling of guilt will affect me till 

my death,” he said. 

He also promised to pursue 

‘Spiritual Politics’ and not ‘Politics 

of Caste and Religion.’ 

New Party being launched 

No doubt, pressure has been 

mounting on Rajinikanth to enter 

politics for some time now – more 

so since the past five years, as the 

Jayalalitha-Shashikala and the 

latter’s cronies became too much 

to bear. 

He has said that he would 

launch a new Party before the 

next general election and has 

asked all his fan clubs to work for 

his Party. 

Website sans Internet 

“We will resign in three years 

if we cannot fulfill our election 

promises,” Rajinikanth said. 

On January 1, 2018, Rajinikanth 

launched a website and an 

App on Google Play Store and 

appealed to members of his 

registered and unregistered fan 

clubs and others to enroll for his 

proposed political party. 

The Website can be accessed 

only if the Internet is switched 

off. 

Rajinikanth announcing his new website on January 1, 2018 from his home in Chennai 

Non-Controversial thus far 

With about 75,000 Rajinikanth 

Fan Clubs, each claiming 25 

members, the Superstar can expect 

to have at least 1.87 million 

supporters ‘within his hold.’ 

In addition, the people of Tamil 

Nadu adore him as a swashbuckling 

hero who is simple, honest 

and most important, successful. 

The 67-year-old actor, who has 

thus far stayed out of controversies, 

has knowingly entered the 

labyrinth of politics, apparently 

assured by the wide support that 

he gets throughout Tamil Nadu. 

Indeed, there has been no actor 

of his ilk in the State since the 

AIADMK Founder and later Chief 

Minister M G Ramachandran 

entered politics after the famous 

Madurai Rally on October 17, 

1972. 

Born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad to 

a Marathi family in Bengaluru 

(Bangalore) on December 12, 

1950, he was given the mononymous 

name of Rajinikanth by his 

mentor, the late Producer-Director 

K Balachander. Tamil Nadu 

is known for welcoming and 

encouraging people from other 

States and housing the largest 

film industry in South India, 

Chennai became the home and 

launchpad for almost all South 

Indian actors. 

Rajinikanth has done just 

108 films, but most of them has 

had his full involvement- from 

choosing producers, directors, 

music directors, co-stars and even 

the banner, he had the last word. 

Some of this film bombed at the 

box office but to his fans, he is 

always a Superstar. 

Murky Politics 

Since former Chief Minister and 

AIADMK Supremo, the late Jayalalitha 

Jayaram landed herself in 

trouble over wealth unrelated to 

income - her unaccounted cash, 

jewellery, properties, businesses 

and other assets in 1996 and 

the dark shadow of influence 

exercised by her closet friend 

Shashikala, Tamil Nadu politics 

has been murky. 

With DMK Leader, former Chief 

Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi 

too old to be involved in public 

affairs (he is 93 now) and with 

Shashikala serving a four-year jail 

terms and banned from politics 

for ten years and AIADMK divided 

into two camps, Rajinikanth 

could harbour hopes of capturing 

power in 2021. 

Troubled State 

Tamil Nadu politics has always 

been an enigma to people outside 

the State – that includes Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi and 

Rahul Gandhi, whose Bharatiya 

Janata Party (BJP) and Congress 

(respectively) have been routed 

election after election – the 

former since its formation in 1976 

and the latter since 1967. 

People in Tamil Nadu have 

voted consistently for the past 

40 years to either Dravida Munnetra 

Kazhagam (DMK) or Anna 

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 

(AIADMK). The two parties are 

at war and voters have swung 

between them at five-year intervals. 

AIADMK swept to power in 

the general election held in 2016 

winning 134 seats out of 232 seats 

contested (elections were not 

held in two constituencies) but 

soon thereafter, Jayalalitha took 

seriously ill and passed away on 

December 5, 2016. Less than a 

month later, the Supreme Court 

of India struck down the acquittal 

of Jayalalitha, Shashikala and others 

implicated in the income-tax 

and other scandals. 

Other entrants 

Time will tell if Rajinikanth 

has stepped on a minefield and 

whether his political entry would 

further polarise the people of 

Tamil Nadu. 

As it is, a few of his seniors 

in the Indian film industry are 

active- Vijayakanth and Sharath 

Kumar for instance. Kamal 

Hassan, another icon, has been 

writing about the current state of 

Tamil Nadu, its corrupt politicians 

and dysfunctional government in 

‘Ananda Vikatan,’ a popular Tamil 

weekly. 

It may not be too long before he 

announces his entry. 

In such an event, Tamil 

Nadu politics will have the 

reminiscence of the 1960s when 

matinee idol Shivaji Ganeshan 

supported the Congress and even 

more popular MGR was raised by 

DMK and later started his party, 

AIADMK. 

Cinema and Politics are two 

inseparable elements in Tamil 

Nadu. 

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Former Deputy PM 

Jim Anderton passes away 

Venkat Raman 


Former Deputy Prime 

Minister and Founder 

of Alliance and 

Progressive parties 

passed away overnight at 

the Cashmere View Hospital 

in Christchurch, his wife 

Carole said in a statement. 

Mr Anderton was 79 

years old, just two weeks 

short of turning 80. 

Last year, he was appointed 

‘Companion of the New 

Zealand Order of Merit’ 

on the Queen’s Birthday 

Honours List. Governor 

General Dame Patsy Reddy 

decorated him with the 

insignia in September at 

the ‘Nazareth House,’ a Rest 

Home where he was living. 

He was on a wheel chair 

and appeared frail. 

Long Public Service 

Mr Anderton led a public 

life of five decades during 

which he served the local 

government (at the then 

Manukau City Council) and 

the central government. 

He played a major role in 

the selection of candidates 

to contest in elections. 

Many of them later became 

ministers. He was also an 

Jim Anderton (File Photo) 

innovative fundraiser. 

He is credited with a 

number of initiatives 

including the Kiwibank, 

which has today emerged as 

a progressive commercial 

bank of New Zealand. 

Mr Anderton was also 

a major force within the 

Labour Party, of which he 

was once the President and 

later formed a minority 

coalition government with 

his Progressive Party. 

Many of integrity 

Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern said that New 

Zealand has lost a man 

of integrity, compassion 

and dedication to public 

service. 

“Jim Anderton devoted 

much of his adult life 

to public service and to 

the ideals of the Labour 

Movement. He was a 

leader in Ministerial work, 

particularly in the Regional 

Development and Primary 

Industries portfolios,” she 

said. 

Ms Ardern said that 

his work to establish the 

Alliance and Progressive 

Parties was both difficult 

and trailblazing. 

“He never gave up on 

the values of the Labour 

Movement and worked 

tirelessly to bring it back 

together through the years 

of the Fifth Labour-led 

Government. He was a 

loyal servant of the people 

of Sydenham and Wigram, 

serving as a Member of 

Parliament from 1984 to 

2011. He loved the people 

of Christchurch and his 

commitment continued 

beyond central government 

politics, including in recent 

years as Chair of the 

Stadium Trust and working 

to save the Christchurch 

Cathedral,” she said. 

Homelink 

05 

HINDU COUNCIL OF NEW ZEALAND Incorporated 

(Registered with Charities Commission Regd No: CC31281; Donee organisation status from IRD) 

Organisation in Special Consultativestatus with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since2012 

Post Box101 215, North ShoreMailing Centre,Wairau Park,Auckland; New Zealand 

Email: hindu.nz@gmail.com Website: http://hinducouncil.org.nz 

Hindu Council of New Zealand (HCNZ) [Vishwa Hindu Parishad] is acommunity organisation. HCNZ was established in 1996. 

Our motto is ‘Vasudaiva Kuttumbakam’ (World is one Family), our vision is to strengthen, position and organise the 

Hindu Community. Over the years, we have held several conferences and the first one was inaugurated by the then 

Honourable Prime Minister Helen Clark. HCNZ also coordinates the Secretariat of HOTA (Hindu Organisation Temples and 

Association). The purpose of HOTA istogalvanise the Hindu Community. 

The Hindu Council is looking for people passionate to volunteer for community projects. Our upcoming projects include: 

(i) National Hindu Conference 

(ii) Celebration of Yoga through spreading more information about and providing 

more people with opportunities to learn this ancient and highly beneficial practice 

(iii) Community forums 

(iv) Social and educational activities, forums, debates and quiz for youth 

(v) Connecting new migrant families to community Divisions of HCNZ are: 

a. Hindu Youth New Zealand (HYNZ) 

b. New Zealand Hindu Students Forum (for Tertiary Students) 

c. Hindu Elders New Zealand (HENZ) 

d. Hindu Media Forum (HMF) 

e. AROGYA (for promotion of Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda) 

Our volunteers are proud of our Hindu identity and Hindu heritage. Hindu Council of New Zealand welcomes volunteers who are passionate 

about community work and are looking to contribute to any of the above divisions. 

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06 Education & Training Special 

India and New Zealand must convert paperwork into action 

Existing and emerging potential need practical thrust 

Manoj Ladwa 

Through India Trade 

Alliance, New Zealand 

India and New Zealand 

share ties that go back centuries 

– as former British colonies 

and as important members of the 

Commonwealth. 

But unfortunately, the 

relationship has not yet achieved 

the potential that exists for closer 

cooperation on a range of issues 

– including strategic, global terror 

and bilateral trade. 

Cricket, Cricket, Cricket 

New Zealand features prominently 

in the Indian consciousness 

– and in Indian news reports 

– mostly when the two countries 

meet on the cricket field. 

I dare say that legendary 

all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee is 

the most famous New Zealander 

in India. 

But away from the arc lights, 

ties between the two countries 

have been growing steadily, albeit 

at a slower pace than many of us 

would like. 

Students’ alternative 

At a time when Indian students 

are finding it increasingly difficult 

to pursue higher studies in the UK 

and the US, New Zealand has been 

slowly emerging as an alternative 

to these traditional powerhouses 

of education. 

At the end of 2016, about 29,000 

Indian students were studying in 

New Zealand, making India the 

second-largest source of foreign 

students to the country. 

I am hopeful that these students 

will emerge as great brand 

ambassadors for the relationship 

in the years to come. 

Modest bilateral trade 

But these are early days. 

Bilateral services trade between 

the two countries has more than 

doubled to $1.36 billion, taking 

the total trade between India 

and New Zealand to $2.6 billion. 

These are admittedly very modest 

figures, but the good news is that 

both governments are taking steps 

to build on this modest base and 

scale up economic ties closer to 

their full potential. 

But with about 52,000 Indian 

tourists visiting New Zealand last 

year (and the numbers are rightly 

growing), the path for much 

greater empathy between the two 

nations is warming. 

The joint statement issued 

by the two countries last year 

following the visit of the then 

New Zealand Prime Minister Sir 

John Key in October 2016 to India 

acknowledged that India and New 

Zealand, being maritime nations, 

have a common interest in ensuring 

the safety and security of sea 

lanes and freedom of navigation 

and in ensuring the prosperity of 

the Indo-Pacific region. 

Given this convergence of strategic 

interests, the two countries 

have agreed to strengthen and 

deepen bilateral political, defence 

and security relations. 

Joint initiatives 

The joint statement gives me 

hope. 

It said that the two countries will 

(1) Establish a bilateral ministerial 

dialogue through annual meetings, 

either in India, New Zealand or on 

the margins of regional or global 

gatherings (2) Hold annual Foreign 

Ministry consultations at the 

senior officials’ level (3) 

Promote cooperation and 

dialogue between the two countries 

on cyber issues (4) Explore 

prospects for information sharing 

in support of our mutual interests 

in maritime security (5) Continue 

negotiations for a customs cooperation 

arrangement to facilitate 

information sharing and to provide 

a framework for the exchange 

of new customs procedures and 

techniques (6) Undertake defence 

education exchanges, by placing 

Indian and New Zealand defence 

personnel on each other’s defence 

courses and staff colleges 

Other possibilities 

There are, of course, several 

other areas where the two 

countries are cooperating – most 

notably in supporting of India’s 

quest for a seat on the United 

Nations Security Council, though 

some further dialogue is needed 

in acknowledging the importance 

of New Delhi joining the Nuclear 

Suppliers’ Group. 

The two countries have also 

been negotiating a Free Trade 

Agreement, but the issue is stuck 

in a limbo over high agricultural 

subsidies. 

Pranab Mukherjee became the 

first Indian President to visit New 

Zealand in 2016. 

And the government of India 

has notified the third protocol 

between India and New Zealand 

for avoidance of double taxation. 

That is quite a long to-do list! 

Great potential 

But I passionately believe in 

fostering greater cooperation, especially 

between CommonwAealth 

nations, for greater bilateral 

benefit and the greatest common 

good for the entire community of 

nations. 

This goal will take encouragement 

from the groundwork done 

for fostering closer and deeper 

ties between India and New 

Zealand. 

And given the thrust that Indian 


is giving to his government’s ‘Act 

East Policy,’ the future of this 

relationship looks bright. 

I would like to congratulate 

India Trade Alliance for 

publishing this insightful report 

and the excellent work you do 

in strengthening the bond of 

friendship between two great 

democracies. 

I also very much look forward 

to welcoming a strong New Zealand 

contingent to the ‘Go Global 

Expo & Conference’ in Mumbai in 

May 2018. 

Manoj Ladwa is also Founder 

and Chief Executive of 

MSL Chase Group based in 

London. The above article, 

which appeared in the ‘New 

Zealand-India Economic Update 

December 2017’ of the Auckland 

based India Trade Alliance’ has 

been reproduced here with the 

permission of the latter. 

Web Links: 

http://www.ita.nz/nz-india-economic-update-dec2017/ 

www.facebook.com/indiatradealliance 

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Education & Training Special 

07 

NCEA review to modernise school education system 

Chris Hipkins 

Overassessment of 

students and teacher 

workload will be 

addressed as part of the 

National Certificate of Educational 

Achievement (NCEA) review 

starting early this year. 

The review’s Terms of Reference 

were released on December 

14, 2017. 

The NCEA review is an opportunity 

to refine and strengthen 

our key national qualification 

for young people leaving school, 

and to ensure that NCEA remains 

relevant in the modern world. 

Focus on the Future 

The Government is committed 

to delivering a future-focused 

education system that equips students 

with skills and knowledge 

to be globally competitive. 

The introduction of NCEA 

represented asignificant modernisation 

of the system of secondary 

school assessment. 

However, the full potential of 

NCEA has yet to be fully realised. 

This review will build on what 

has been achieved with NCEA to 

date, and respond to emerging 

needs and opportunities. 

Over assessment, an issue 

Students and teachers have told 

us that overassessment is a real 

issue and impacts their wellbeing 

and workload. This and the 

importance of teaching life skills 

in schools, such as resilience, 

creativity, communication and 

adaptability, will form part of the 

review. 

The review will also look at 

the role of each level of NCEA, 

particularly the structure and 

relevance of NCEA Level 1 and 

whether all young people should 

attempt it. 

The Education Ministry will run 

the review, starting with a range 

of stakeholders and opening 

up for all New Zealanders to 

comment and contribute. 

New Advisory Group 

I will also establish a Ministerial 

Advisory Group of innovative 

thinkers, who can challenge 

traditional thinking on senior 

secondary education and assessment, 

to lead the initial phase 

of the review with a discussion 

document for public consultation 

in April 2018. 

I am keen to hear from young 

people who are currently working 

towards an NCEA. 

I have set up a youth advisory 

group and will be seeking their 

insights early on in the process, 

and I want other students to contribute 

as well during the wider 

public consultation phase. 

The Terms of Reference for the 

review and the Cabinet Paper 

‘Reviewing NCEA’ are available 

at www.education.govt.nz/ 

ncea-review. 

Chris Hipkins is Education 

Minister of New Zealand. 

Students worry over Best Pacific Institute closure 

Venkat Raman 


Hundreds of students 

of the Best Pacific 

Institute of Education 

are reportedly worried 

about their future as they struggle 

to find an alternate institution to 

pursue their study. 

The Tertiary Education Commission 

(TEC) has announced that 

the Best Pacific Institution has 

closed, following its decision not 

to fund the Institute in 2018. 

Among the concerns of the 

TEC was the Institute’s financial 

stability and ability to provide 

programmes to students. 

“Hopefully, students have taken 

the chance to consider their future 

study options. If not, there is 

more information on our website 

about the alternative providers 

available in South and West 

Auckland, offering comparable 

courses,” aTEC notification said. 

Alternative Institutes 

It said that the Manukau 

Institute of Technology (MIT), 

Skills Update Training Institute, 

New Zealand School of Education 

and Advance Training Centre are 

discussing ongoing study requirements 

and are continuing to hold 

meetings for former students of 

the Best Institute. 

The Institute had about 700 

students on its rolls. 

The Stuff quoted TEC as saying 

that while Best had previously 

delivered training to many 

people needing it in a critically 

important area over a long period 

of time, the education needs of 

the community changed and 

Best was not able to adapt these 

changes. 

“To ensure that we manage 

taxpayer funds responsibly, the 

TEC informed Best that we would 

not fund it in 2018 as we could 

not accept it would be financially 

sustainable or capable of delivering 

learning programmes to 

students,” the TEC said. 

Courses offered 

The Best Institute offered training 

from Level 1 foundation-type 

courses through to degree level 

in its premises in West and South 

Auckland. 

The Stuff also quoted MIT 

Deputy Chief Executive 

(Pacifika) Peseta Sam Lotu-liga 

as saying that there is a range of 

qualifications from business and 

trade to performing arts to which 

students of the Best Institute can 

be transferred. 

“MIT is confident that it can 

accommodate all of the former 

Best students within its 2018 

intake. If new staff are needed, 

former Best employees can 

apply; however, the usual, open 

recruitment process including 

other candidates would be run as 

required under the New Zealand 

Law,” he said. 

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08 Fijilink 

First of three Parts 

Call for papers to International 

Hindi Conference in Fiji 

University of the South Pacific, February 15 to 18, 2018 

Sunita Narayan 

sunita.d.narayan@gmail.com 

This is the first call for 

Papers to the three-day 

International Conference 

scheduled to be held at 

the University of South Pacific, 

in Suva, Fiji from February 15 to 

February 18, 2018. 

The Papers could be on any 

of the following topics: 1. Hindi 

Literature 2. Diaspora Writings 

3. Best Practices of teaching and 

learning Hindi 4. Hindi Media 

5. Status of Hindi- Challenges 

and Opportunities 6. Career 

Opportunities from Hindi education 

7. Hindi and Technology 8. 

Importance of Devanagiri Script 

9. Youth and Hindi 10. Hindi in 

Fiji 11. Hindi in Australia 12. 

Hindi in New Zealand 13. Hindi 

in Indentured Countries 14. 

Ramayan and Hindi 15. I-taukei 

Language and Hindi and 16. 

Close Relationship between 

Hindi and Urdu. 

Those interested should 

send abstracts of their Papers, 

extending to no more than 200 

on or before January 15, 2018 

to internationalhindiconffiji@ 

gmail.com 

Organisations involved 

The Indian High Commission 

based in Suva, and the Ministry 

of Education of the Fijian 

government and University of 

South Pacific are organising the 

Conference. 

The University is an important 

partner since it has campuses in 

14 Pacific countries. 

University of Fiji and National 

University of Fiji are also 

involved with the Conference 

along with several social, 

community and religious organisations 

functioning in Fiji. 

These include Art of Living, 

Arya Samaj, Fiji Seva Ashram, 

Gujarat Samaj, Hare Rama Hare 

Krishna, Hindi Parishad, Hindi 

Teachers Association, Hindi 

Writers Association, Hindu 

Society, India Fiji Friendship 

Association, Multi-Cultural Centre, 

Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi 

Sabha, TISI Sangam and Vishva 

Hindu Parishad. 

The involvement of the 

I-taukei community will enhance 

the value of the Conference. 

Indian High Commission Fiji 

The Suva-based Indian High 

Commission has been marking 

the ‘Namaste Pacifika Festival’ 

since October 2017. The sixmonth-long 

Festival (ending in 

March 2018) is being held in 

collaboration with the Ministry 

of Culture, Government of India. 

Late last year, the Indian High 

Commission hosted an International 

Ramayan Conference 

in collaboration with Fiji Seva 

Ashram and other religious 

bodies. 

The first of its type in Fiji, the 

Conference attracted more than 

45 renowned academics and 

scholars of Ramayan from all 

over the world. 

As well as India which is playing 

a major role in next month’s 

International Hindi Conference, 

Australia, New Zealand and 

countries of the Pacific will 

also be involved. Delegates are 

expected from other countries 

such as Guyana, Mauritius, Suriname 

and Trinidad & Tobago 

where indentured labour system 

existed. 

Hindi in Fiji 

There are thousands of people 

in Fiji who speak and understand 

Hindi. 

Despite being used extensively 

in media and its presence in 

Universities, somehow there 

has never been an International 

Conference on Hindi in Fiji. 

Fiji has strong traditional 

ties with Pacific countries and 

sentimental connections with 

the indentured countries. Apart 

from these, writers and academics 

from America and other 

countries are also expected to 

attend the event. 

Hindi media will be covered 

extensively in this conference 

apart from academic and historical 

topics. 

Therefore, the forthcoming 

Conference will be historic. 

Editor’s Note: Although Hindi 

is not the National Language 

of India or Fiji (it is among 

Official Languages of the 

two countries), it is widely 

understood and spoken mainly 

influenced by Hindi films, Hindi 

television programmes and 

programmes featuring Hindi 

film stars. In New Zealand, 

Hindi is the fourth most widely 

spoken language (according to 

Statistics New Zealand) but it 

is not known how many young 

New Zealanders can read and 

write Hindi. Organisations 

such as the ‘Hindi Language 

and Culture Trust,’ ‘Teach Hindi 

New Zealand’ and ‘Wellington 

Hindi School’ are actively 

encouraging New Zealanders 

to learn the language. 

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Social harmony and tolerance keep Fiji ahead 

Josiah Voreqe 

Bainimarama 

We are lucky to be in a 

country that is rich in 

different cultures and 

religions, and I am 

grateful that in the Fijian society, 

we openly share the traditions and 

celebration of our fellow Fijians. 

Every year, the ‘Ram Leela 

Festival’ brings colour, artistic 

expression and joy to communities 

across Fiji. 

Through the dramatic re-enactment 

of the life of the Hindu Lord 

Ram, poetry, singing and dancing, 

our Hindu brothers and sisters express 

the noble ideals of Lord Ram, 

and the triumph over adversity that 

was the ultimate purpose of Rama’s 

incarnation on earth. 

Since the Girmit Era 

I have been told that the art form 

of Ram Leela has been practiced in 

Fiji for around 140 years, when it 

was first brought to Fiji by indentured 

labourers from British India 

in the early years of the Girmit Era. 

Then, it was a social gathering, 

a celebration that brought the 

comfort and familiarity of home to 

a strange and foreign land. And we 

can all be proud, that nearly a century 

and a half later, this Festival 

continues as a joyous tradition in 

our nation’s life. 

I was very proud when, just 

over one year ago, Fijians from all 

backgrounds and walks of life came 

together to commemorate the 100th 

Anniversary of the arrival of the SS 

Sutlej – the last ship of the Girmit 

era that brought 888 indentured 

labourers to Fiji in November 1916. 

It was a very special and emotional 

tribute to the ancestors of our 

fellow Fijians who suffered through 

that dark time in our history. 

I was grateful then, as I am grateful 

now, that Fiji is blessed with 

such a rich tapestry of religions, 

ethnicities and cultural heritage. 

Diversity is strength 

While it has not always been an 

easy journey, today, that diversity 

is our nation’s greatest strength, 

and our unity has emerged as the 

foundation for the great progress 

we’ve made for Fiji over the past 

decade. 

In every religious tradition in Fiji 

there are values that every Fijian 

can appreciate and celebrate. The 

Ram Leela Festival is no different. 

It is a story of family, friendship 

and leadership. And as a father 

and grandfather myself, the story 

of Lord Rama puts forward ideals 

that I strive to meet in my own life, 

and I know mothers, fathers and 

grandparents across the country 

strive to do the same. 

Teamwork Story 

The Story of Lord Ram is also 

a story of teamwork, unity and 

camaraderie. Values that have 

built the Fiji we know and love 

today. Values that bond us together 

in our great journey forward as a 

nation. And values that we have 

enshrined, for all time, in the 

Fijian Constitution. A Constitution 

that, for the first time, establishes 

common and equal citizenry in Fiji, 

regardless of our background, our 

beliefs, our socioeconomic status, or 

where we live. 

Fijian Constitution 

Under that Constitution, united in 

common purpose, the Fijian people 

have taken our nation to unprecedented 

heights – at home, as we 

have grown our economy for eight 

straight years, and abroad, where 

we’ve assumed global leadership 

on causes critical to our secure 

future. We’ve shown that when we 

respect one another, when we work 

alongside our fellow Fijians and 

embrace our differences, there is 

nothing we cannot achieve. 

We have just entered the New 

Year, as we look ahead to the rest of 

2018, it is more important than ever 

that we continue to stand together 

– as one nation and one people – in 

building the new Fiji. 

General Elections 2018 

We will be holding our national 

elections later this year, and, as we 

have seen before, we will again be 

confronted with old forces that seek 

to divide us and hold us back from 

our journey into the future. Again, 

we must reject that backwards way 

of thinking. Again, we must choose 

progress over prejudice and dirty 

politics. And again, we must renew 

our commitment to one another, 

as Fijians and as men and women 

dedicated to the betterment of our 

nation. 

Josiah Voreqe Bainimarama is 

Prime Minister of Fiji. The above 

is an edited version of his speech 

at the ‘Ram Leela Festival’ held 

in Sigatoka on Sunday, January 

6, 2018. 

The suspended People’s 

Democratic Party (PDP) 

faces deregistration if it 

fails to comply with the 

requirements sought by the Fijian 

Elections Office. 

One of the requirements, under 

the Political Parties decree, is that 

all the key executive positions are 

filled. 

It is understood that only the 

Treasurer and General Secretary 

positions are filled. 

If it is deregistered, it will have 

an impact on the general election 

landscape. 

One politician who is rubbing his 

hands with glee is Fiji Labour Party 

(FLP) leader Mahendra Chaudhry. 

The demise of PDP will open the 

door for his Party to consolidate its 

support in the labour movement. 

PDP had split the votes in the 2014 

General Election. As a result, FLP 

and PDP failed to win a seat. 

Breakaway Party 

PDP was formed after Felix Anthony, 

General Secretary of the Fiji 

Trades Union Congress, broke away 

from FLP because he did not like Mr 

Chaudhry’s leadership style. 

But they now appear to be 

singing the same tune as they rally 

support for the striking Air Terminal 

Services workers. 

Mr Anthony has kept people 

guessing about the future of his 

political career since he resigned as 

PDP leader. 

His mates, lawyer Aman Ravindra 

Singh, who is the former PDP General 

Secretary and Daniel Urai, FTUC 

President, have aligned themselves 

Fijilink 

PDP’s demise could boost Labour 

Fiji Sun 

09 

with FLP. Mr Singh is now the 

Assistant General Secretary of FLP. 

Mr Urai has no substantive role, but 

has been prominent in recent FLP 

rallies. 

Split Votes 

If Mr Chaudhry is able to capture 

the PDP votes (there is no guarantee), 

he could attain the threshold 

for FLP to win a seat. Those votes 

can also be split between Fiji First, 

National Federation Party, SODELPA 

and even Unity Fiji Party. 

Since the resignation of Mr Anthony 

as leader and a Party pioneer 

Sivia Qoro (now in Unity Fiji), PDP 

has been on a downward spiral. 

President and later Leader Lynda 

Tabuya has unsuccessfully tried to 

keep PDP on an even keel. 

Pact with SODELPA 

Her move to sign a memorandum 

of understanding (MOU) with 

SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka 

that allows PDP members to contest 

the election under the SODELPA 

banner was weird. It looks like a 

ploy to buy time before the PDP ship 

goes under. It came as no surprise 

when the Fijian Elections Office 

(FEO) started asking questions. 

It also caused a stir in the SODEL- 

PA camp and it is understood that 

the “merger” was viewed with suspicion 

by some officials. They included 

Raman Velji, a Vice-President, one of 

the few Indo-Fijians in the Party. 

He quit the party because “the 

recent development within the party 

has been of great concern to me.” 

It is believed this is to do with the 

MOU with PDP. 

By Arrangement with Fiji Sun.


10 Businesslink 

First of Three Parts 

Port should remain part of Auckland City 

Venkat Raman 


Auckland Seaport has been 

subject to discussion 

among local councillors 

and central government 

ministers in recent months, 

with three schools of thought 

emerging in the process-the first 

recommending status quo, the 

second suggesting its relocation to 

Manukau and the third a total shift 

to Northland. 

The suggestion to move the Port 

out of Auckland should not be 

entertained. It would take away the 

lifeline of the country’s largest city, 

for as Ports of Auckland Limited 

(POAL) Chief Executive Tony Gibson 

said, “Ports are the economic engine 

of the local economy.” 

“Nonetheless, we will move 

to any location to which we are 

asked to move. However, we have 

an exciting 30-Year Plan that will 

transform POAL in 2047. We are 

conscious of the growing needs of 

Auckland, particularly the Central 

Business District” he told Indian 

Newslink during an interview. 

“Sometimes, people do not like 

what they see,” he added. 

Not an overnight job 

But moving a Port is not an 

overnight job. According to experts, 

it would take up to 30 years to fully 

relocate a seaport; apart from high 

costs involved, the decision would 

do little good to anyone; certainly 

not in terms of truck movement and 

other traffic. 

It would strike a fatal blow to the 

Tony Gibson, Chief Executive, Ports of Auckland Limited 

Auckland economy. 

Mr Gibson said that major cities 

with port facilities have prospered, 

contributing significantly to the 

growth of the national economy in 

general and the regional economy 

in particular. 

The Waitemata Port has been 

in service for more than 175 

years and has grown from a few 

simple wharves to a large container 

terminal. 

Impressive figures 

“Ports of Auckland is a $15 billion 

company accounting for 170,000 

direct and indirect jobs. We are the 

country’s largest vehicle import 

port. We handle more than 300,000 

cars a year, in addition to trucks, 

buses, farm machinery and other 

vehicles. We get deliveries of up 

to 3000 vehicles at a time and get 

them off the port in less than three 

days. The Port handles about three 

million tons of iron, steel, timber 

and other goods,” Mr Gibson said. 

Best in Australasia 

POAL is the busiest container 

port, a tourism hub and the most 

Auckland Port- Fast Facts 

efficient port in Australasia. The 

port handles about 100 cruise 

ships annually, with each ship 

contributing about $1.5 million to 

the Auckland economy. 

In June this year, the Auckland 

Port was named the ‘Best Seaport 

in Oceania’ at the ‘Asia Cargo News’ 

Asia Freight, Logistics and Supply 

Chain (AFLAS) Awards. 

The Port won the Award for the 

second successive year and was the 

only New Zealand Port to be selected 

as a finalist competing against 

Auckland Port- Exports and Imports Statistics (Images Supplied) 

three Australian seaports, namely 

Port of Melbourne, Port of Brisbane 

and Sydney Ports Corporation. 

Mr Gibson was upbeat about the 

existing and emerging opportunities, 

which he described as ‘diverse 

and exciting.’ 

“Our people are good at what 

they do and investment in our team 

has resulted in innovation, new 

technology and equipment and 

processes that are changing the way 

we do business and enabling us to 

achieve world-class productivity,” 

he said. 

UNCTAD Figures 

According to United Nations 

Conference on Trade & Development 

(UNCTAD), the total volume of 

seaborne trade worldwide reached 

10.3 billion tons in 2016, reflecting 

the addition of 260 million tons 

of cargo, about half of which was 

attributed to tanker trade. 

The UN body estimates that 

global trade volume would be 10.6 

billion tons in 2017. 

“Cargo flows are expected to 

expand across all segments, with 

containerised and major dry bulk 

commodities trade recording the 

fastest growth,” it said. 

Buoyant commerce 

Buoyant world trade has provided 

bumper returns for the world’s 

leading container-shipping firms. 

World Trade Organisation statistics 

show that global trade has grown 

by 32% since 2006, reaching US$ 16 

trillion in 2016. World exports of 

commercial services accelerated by 

64%, reaching US$ 4.7 trillion. 

Carbon Free in 2025 

The importance of the seaport to 

the country’s largest city cannot be 

over-emphasised. Located at the 

foot of the Central Business District 

and surrounded by residential 

and business blocks, POAL has 

the responsibility of being a good 

neighbour. 

“Our aim is to be the most sustainable 

port in New Zealand and 

use our position in the supply chain 

to lead change in our industry. In 

terms of the ‘Paris Agreement,’ 

POAL hopes to become carbon-free 

by 2025,” Mr Gibson said. 

The Paris Agreement, which 

came into effect on November 

4, 2016, aims to strengthen the 

global response to the threat of 

climate change by keeping a global 

temperature rise this century below 

2° C above pre-industrial levels 

and to pursue efforts to limit the 

temperature increase even further 

to 1.5° C. 

Next in the Series: The 30-Year 

Master Plan of Ports of Auckland 

Limited. 

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12 Viewlink 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

ISSUE 384| JANUARY 15, 2018 

Some thoughts and trends for 2018 

Indian Newslink wishes its 

readers, contributors, correspondents, 

advertisers, 

sponsors and well-wishers 

a Happy and Prosperous New 

Year. 

We hope that 2018 will see you 

and those around you healthier, 

safer and happier. 

New Zealanders ushered in the 

New Year with usual gaiety and 

fun. Private parties accounted for 

a major part of the celebrations, 

while those in the mood to drink 

and dance to the tunes of DJs 

gathered in hotels and restaurants. 

The World Economy 

The dawn of the New Year is also 

time to take a panoramic view of 

the World Economy and see what 

is in store. 

A recent World Bank Report has 

warned politicians, economists and 

planners to be aware of downside 

risks in 2018, although the global 

economy, expected to have grown 

by 2.7% in 2018 is projected to 

strengthen to 2.9% in 2018 and 

2019. 

The Report cites increased 

protectionism, heightened policy 

uncertainty, possibility of financial 

market turbulence, and, over 

the longer run, weaker potential 

growth as possible risks in the New 

Year. 

“These risks highlight the urgency 

for policymakers in emerging 

markets and developing economies 

to rebuild macroeconomic policy 

space and implement policies that 

support investment and trade,” the 

World Bank Report said. 

The New Zealand Economy 

Contrary to fears expressed in 

some quarters, the New Zealand 

Economy should expand, with 

growth projected to rise by more 

than 3% in the 2018-2019 fiscal 

year, reflecting stronger investment 

and exports. 

An OECD Report released in 

November 2017 said that capacity 

constraints, high profitability, low 

financing costs, housing shortages 

and government demand should 

support investment, while 

agricultural exports should 

recover following adverse weather 

and temporary price weakness. 

Inflation is projected to rise to 2.4% 

by late 2019. 

“Fiscal policy is to become 

expansionary in 2018-19, reflecting 

both measures retained from the 

May 2017 Budget and the new 

government’s plans to increase 

government consumption, 

investment and transfer payments. 

Although monetary tightening is 

projected to begin in late 2018, 

policy will remain highly accommodative,” 

it said. 

The Report warned that house 

prices and household debt have 

soared in recent years to high 

levels in relation to incomes. 

“Households are highly exposed 

to interest rate risk. Macro-prudential 

regulation should be 

tightened if there is a resurgence of 

debt-fueled house price inflation. 

A maximum debt-to-income ratio 

should be considered if expected 

benefits exceed costs,” it said. 

Likely trends 

The world is changing. This 

cliché is likely to be more 

pronounced in 2018 with several 

aspects of economic and social factors 

influencing the way we think, 

act and live. Not all of them would 

be for the better, but until the cycle 

moves back to erstwhile living 

habits, change would be inevitable. 

Here are just a few examples. 

Pocket Living 

“Cities are bursting in their 

seams and villages are getting 

deserted.” 

This is a common hearing in 

many countries, including India 

where ten cities, with a total of 

more than 100 million people, 

account for a tenth of the country’s 

population. 

Urbanisation is on the increase 

in New Zealand, with Auckland 

leading the race, making housing 

one of the most formidable 

challenges. The old concept of 

single houses has almost vanished, 

although the unit system is still 

in vogue. But the ‘Unitary Plan’ 

and continued rise in demand for 

houses has begun to see more and 

more apartments in the Central 

Business District and suburbs of 

Auckland. 

‘Pocket Living,’ and Gated 

Communities are fast becoming the 

norm in major cities. 

Data Domination 

According to the Economist, Data 

has become more dominant than 

Oil in the world. 

“Smartphones and the internet 

have made data abundant, 

ubiquitous and far more valuable. 

Whether you are going for a run, 

watching tv or even just sitting 

in traffic, virtually every activity 

creates a digital trace, more raw 

material for the data distilleries. 

As devices from watches to cars 

connect to the internet, the volume 

is increasing: some estimate that 

a self-driving car will generate 

100 gigabytes per second,” the 

publication said. 

Bitcoins Regime 

Some months ago, Indian 

Newslink ran articles on ‘Bitcoins’ 

and how they are emerging 

as dominating alternatives for 

currencies. Many read them but 

did not believe that Bitcoins would 

make such an impact as they did in 

the latter half of 2017. 

As the Economist said, “Put the 

word ‘Bitcoin’ into Google and you 

get (in Britain, at least) four adverts 

at the top of the list: ‘Trade Bitcoin 

with no fees,’ ‘Fastest Way to Buy 

Bitcoin,’ 

‘Where to Buy Bitcoins’ and 

‘Looking to Invest in Bitcoins.’ 

Fake News 

The world is likely to face the 

increased risk of Fake News in 

2018. 

Fake news stories have been 

around for as long as reported 

news has - hysteria-inducing 

hoaxes spread in the early days 

of printed media and today’s 

tabloids and gossip magazines still 

frequently publish stories later 

found to be untrue - but its online 

form gained momentum during 

the most bizarre US election in 

recent memory, proliferating on 

Facebook and Twitter feeds. 

There is more to come. 

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 

Mandatory Insurance Scheme 

for migrant workers from India 

Venkat Raman 


Citizens of India going 

overseas on work visas are 

covered under a special 

insurance scheme called, 

‘Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana.’ 

The Indian government 

has made it mandatory for all 

migrant workers going overseas 

to be insured under this Scheme, 

a revised version of which was 

published by the External Affairs 

Ministry on December 20, 2017. 

The latest version sets out a 

number of issues favourable to 

the insured. 

Conditions of Cover 

However, insurance companies 

provide cover under this Scheme 

only to Indian citizens who have 

proper employment contracts, 

either from reputed companies 

or from authorised recruitment 

agents. 

The insurance policy, limited 

to Indian Rupees 1 million (about 

$22,210) covers bodily injury, 

permanent total disablement 

resulting in loss of employment 

within 12 months of the bodily 

injury, death, transportation and 

airfare for attendant, hospitalisation 

expenses, employment 

contingencies and repatriation 

expenses and legal expenses. 

Editor’s Note: The above is only 

a broad statement of policy. 

Insurability, premium and 

other factors may differ from 

person to person. 

Although the Insurance 

Scheme has been in existence for 

more than 13 years, it has been 

strengthened and increased to Rs 

1 million in 2008. Most employers 

employing migrant workers may 

not be aware that their overseas 

employees are protected, if they 

have obtained insurance cover 

under ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Bima 

Yojana.’ 

Skills Training Programme 

Last year, the Indian 

government set up the ‘Pravasi 

Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ to upskill 

Indian workers going abroad for 

employment. 

“This is a short-term 

programme, ranging from two 

weeks to one month to prepare 

candidates holistically to take up 

challenging assignments in different 

countries with confidence 

and meet transnational skill 

requirements,” anotification said. 

“The Programme could be of 

great help to blue collar workers 

who get an opportunity to 

acquire professional skills and be 

able to communicate in a foreign 

language, besides getting skilled 

in particular trades,” it added. 

The Programme, managed by 

the Ministry of Skill Development 

and Entrepreneurship also aims 

to train Indian youth to become 

skilled workers and entrepreneurs 

in India. 


announced the Scheme at the 

14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held 

on January 9, 2017 in Bengaluru, 

stating that the vision is to make 

India the ‘Skill Capital of the 

World.’ 

Photo Caption: India’s Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi 

announcing the ‘Pravasi Kaushal 

Vikas Yojana’ initiative at the 14th 

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in 

Bengaluru on January 8, 2017. 

(Picture Source: Prime Minister’s 

Office, Government of India) 

‘Billion Trees Programme’ gets Cabinet nod 

Shane Jones 

Iwelcome a renewed mandate 

for Crown Forestry to 

enable it to kick-start the 

Government’s tree planting 

programme. 

The Cabinet has given the 

green light to allow Crown Forestry 

to enter into new commercial 

arrangements to plant trees on 

privately-owned land and to 

provide $14 million of funding 

to support the planting of trees 

next year and the purchase of 

seedlings for 2019. 

Regional Development 

The ambitious one billion trees 

planting programme is one of 

the Government’s cornerstone 

policies. It will help encourage 

regional economic growth, create 

sustainable, high-quality jobs, 

provide opportunities for Māori 

to develop their land, help meet 

our climate change targets and 

support more sustainable use of 

land, water and other natural 

resources. 

Initial projections indicate 

that the planting of one billion 

trees over 10 years could lead to 

between 10 and 30 million tonnes 

of additional carbon dioxide 

removals. 

Quick action has been required 

by the Government to ensure 

Crown Forestry can purchase 

seedlings from nursery stock and 

get planting during the winter 

season. 

Nurseries’ capacity 

While there are limited surplus 

radiata pine seedlings available 

for 2018, discussions with members 

of the New Zealand Forest 

Nursery Growers Association 

have indicated that nurseries 

have the ability to scale up 

significantly for the 2019 planting 

season. 

In addition to the trees that 

Crown Forestry will plant, work 

is under way to determine the 

potential to boost the number of 

native trees planted as well as 

ensuring that the number of trees 

being planted can be accurately 

counted. 

Crown Forestry has the 

capability and connections with 

landowners in the regions to get 

new forestry plantings underway 

immediately. Work is also under 

way to develop a comprehensive 

afforestation programme that 

takes various issues into account, 

including the supply of labour, 

improving the Emissions Trading 

Scheme for forestry and afforestation 

and incentivising land use. 

Establishing Forestry Service 

This is the first in many 

milestones in the tree planting 

programme. As further work is 

progressed to establish a Forestry 

Service, I will take proposals back 

to Cabinet covering the more 

fundamental considerations 

on future funding for Crown 

Forestry, its role and governance 

structure. 

Crown Forestry is a business 

unit and administers the Crown’s 

residual interest in a range of 

commercial forestry assets, primarily 

Crown land that is subject 

to a Waitangi Tribunal Claim or 

leased Maori-owned land. 

Crown Forestry manages 16 

forests with a combined value 

of $172 million, six afforestation 

leases and three registered 

Forestry Encouragement Loans. 

Shane Jones is Forestry 

Minister of New Zealand.


Businesslink 

13


14 Businesslink 

Employee Surveys rate how good (or bad) you are 

Career Development plan keep your staff productive 

Lucy Wyndham 

Alarge part of engaging 

in the development of a 

career is to go through 

training and provide 

feedback. 

For all business owners, receiving 

feedback from employees 

plays a significant role in how 

new hires are trained, making 

features like company surveys 

and internal research crucial. 

After all, career development 

can only take place if an employee 

is trained properly, which 

directly relates to the responses 

from customers, clients, and 

co-workers in terms of overall 

satisfaction and best practices. 

Career Development Resources 

In many cases, businesses in 

New Zealand have a reputation 

for promoting a do-it-yourself 

mentality amongst the various 

working parts. 

For some, this means innovation 

and growth is possible for 

employees of all backgrounds, 

including people of Indian, 

Pakistani, and Sri Lankan backgrounds, 

amongst others. With 

a diverse workforce, many local 

and corporate companies have 

career development resources in 

place that can help retain talent 

and meet the needs of every 

worker. 

Image Source: Unsplash.com 

Staff Retention 

But the key to understanding 

the level of overall satisfaction 

amongst workers is to administer 

regular employee surveys, 

which will ultimately boost staff 

retention. Delivering a survey that 

seeks to understand staff development 

and general satisfaction 

within the company is a great 

way for employers to explore the 

positives and negatives affecting 

productivity. 

Staff retention, or a company’s 

ability to keep employees, will 

matter to new hires, as they would 

prefer to work for a business with 

a high retention rate. 

Utilising the feedback from surveys 

gives employers the chance 

to understand the exact level of 

employee satisfaction and make 

possible changes to encourage 

greater happiness and success. 

Survey Measures 

A strong, beneficial employee 

survey should be administered 

at least once a year in addition to 

performance reviews. 

This way, business owners will 

have the requisite information 

from opposite ends of the spectrum, 

both how employees feel 

that they are performing, and how 

their managers and co-workers 

know they are performing. 

A good employee survey should 

measure (a) Employee happiness 

(b) Long-term career goals (c) Employee 

appreciation (d) Employee 

plans within company 

By measuring these four 

areas, employees will have the 

opportunity to tell employers if 

they feel valued and how they 

plan to implement their personal 

career goals. 

Measuring levels of employee 

happiness helps business owners 

to know precisely how productive 

their company will be, as satisfaction 

commonly leads to successful 

results. 

Company Culture 

In many cases, you may need to 

give your employees an incentive 

to give you detailed, valuable 

feedback. For some businesses, it 

may make sense to utilise surveys 

with monetary compensation 

that still provide the sought-after 

information. Or, it may be wiser 

to offer bonuses or other types of 

rewards to employees for taking 

the survey. 

Whichever way your business 

decides to go about the process, 

the decision will reflect on your 

overall company culture. 

Knowing the results of the 

survey, employers can instil an 

appealing company culture and 

gain greater insight into the 

workplace community that has 

been cultivated. 

A company’s culture is defined 

as its character and personality 

that is constructed by the shared 

traditions, values, attitudes, and 

interactions. 

In general, the company’s 

leaders set the parameters of 

the workplace culture, and the 

various employees carry it out. 

Honest feedback 

With the use of surveys, 

employers give the employees the 

chance to be freely honest and 

express their opinions towards 

the details of the community 

culture. 

If they are unsatisfied with 

some element of the company on 

the communal level, it may keep 

them from achieving and doing 

their job. 

Surveys can therefore contribute 

to the organisational growth 

of a company, as business owners 

will know the areas that need 

improvement and attention. 

Administering employee 

surveys is thus highly useful for 

businesses to understand the 

levels of satisfaction amongst 

their workers and gain helpful 

insights that can ultimately boost 

staff retention and lead to greater 

success as a company. 

Lucy Wyndham is Content 

Editor for a Survey and Review 

Site based in New Zealand. 

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16 Communitylink 

Tamilians prepare for Thai Poosam in New Zealand 

Mangere Temple in Auckland plans 11-day Festival 

Venkat Raman 


Thiru Subramaniyar Temple 

of the Hindu Temple 

Society of New Zealand 

located at 69 Tidal Road in 

Mangere, Auckland has planned 

a 11-day Festival to observe ‘Thai 

Poosam,’ one of the most important 

events in the Tamil Calendar. 

Although ‘Thai Poosam’ is 

actually celebrated on January 31, 

2018, the Temple has decided to 

pay obeisance to Lord Murugan, 

the Presiding Deity with the tying 

of ‘Kanganam,’ on January 21, 2018 

with nightly prayers from 7 pm. 

Symbol of Determination 

‘Kanganam’ is a thread tied to 

a Deity or on the right hand of a 

devotee as a sort of penance and as 

a representation of determination. 

In this context, Devotees of Lord 

Murugan vow to serve their God 

through ‘Kavadi,’ a ceremonial 

dance performed especially in 

observance of Thai aPoosam. 

Some devotees consider it as a 

ceremonial sacrifice and pierce 

their tongues with a sharp spear, 

representing the ‘Vel’ of Lord 

Murugan. This practice is discouraged 

in New Zealand. 

Daily Rites 

Thiru Subramaniyar Temple 

will celebrate Thai Poosam with 

recitations of excerpts from 

various Tamil religious and 

literary texts (such as ‘Thiruvasagam,’ 

‘Devaram,’ and ‘Skanada 

Mangal Arti for Lord Murugan during 

Thai Poosam Festival 

Puranam.’). Hundreds of men, 

women and children will attend 

the celebrations. 

The Temple will observe January 

27, 2018 as ‘Thai Poosam Day,’ will 

witness prayers, Mangal Arti and 

Maha Prasad in the morning and a 

procession of Lord Murugan with 

his consorts Devayani and Valli, in 

the form of ‘Urchavamurthi.’ 

The Temple will also observe the 

actual ‘Thai Poosam’ on January 

31, 2018 with Abhishekams and 

other rituals. 

The Observance 

‘Thaipusam’ or ‘Thaipoosam’ is 

a Hindu festival celebrated mostly 

by the Tamil community on the 

Full Moon during the Tamil month 

of ‘Thai’ (January/February). 

It is mainly observed in countries 

where there is asignificant 

presence of Tamil community 

including Australia, Canada, Caribbean, 

Guadeloupe, Guyana, India, 

Jamaica, Malaysia, Myanmar, 

New Zealand, Réunion, Indonesia, 

Singapore, Singapore, South Africa, 

Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, 

Trinidad and Tobago, and United 

States of America. 

The word ‘Thaipusam’ is a 

combination of the name of the 

month, ‘Thai,’ and the name of a 

star ‘Pusam’ (or ‘Poosam’). This 

Star is at its highest point during 

the festival. 

The Festival commemorates the 

occasion when Goddess Parvathi 

gave Lord Murugan a ‘Vel’ (Spear) 

to vanquish the evil demon 

Soorapadman. 

It is believed that ‘Thai Poosam’ 

marks Lord Murugan’s Birthday. 

Some other sources suggest that 

‘Vaikhasi Vishakam,’ which falls in 

the ‘Vaikhasi’ month (May/June), is 

Murugan’s Birthday. 

Conflict with Demon 

This Festival was created during 

one of the battles between the 

‘Asuras’ (Demons), specifically 

Soorapadman, and the Devas. 

At one point, the latter were 

defeated several times by the 

former. 

The Devas were unable to resist 

the onslaught of the Asura forces. 

In despair, they approached Lord 

Shiva and entreated to give them 

an able leader under whose heroic 

leadership they might obtain victory 

over the Asuras. 

They surrendered themselves 

completely and prayed to Lord 

Shiva, who granted their request 

by creating the mighty warrior, 

‘Skanda,’ out of his own power or 

‘Achintya Shakti.’ 

‘Urchavamuthi’ Lord Murugan with Devayani and Valli 

(Pictures supplied) 

He at once assumed leadership 

of the celestial forces, inspired 

them and defeated the Asuras. 

The day is commemorated as 

‘Thaipusam.’ 

Shaivam Principles 

‘Skanda Puranam,’ the legend of 

Lord Murugan, and ‘Thirupugazh,’ 

which are divine verses on 

the Lord, adhere to Shaivam 

principles. 

Lord Murugan is the embodiment 

of Lord Shiva’s light and wisdom 

and devotees pray to Him to 

overcome the obstacles they face, 

as He is the divine vanquisher of 

evil. The motive of Thaipusam 

festival is to pray to God to receive 

His grace so that bad traits are 

destroyed. 

‘Thai Poosam’ is observed as a 

public holiday in Tamil Nadu, Sri 

Lanka and some parts of Malaysia. 

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17



‘Ram-A-Thon’ Charity Walk becomes a trendsetter 

The event on February 4, 2018 will benefit St John 

Thakur Ranjit Singh 

Shri Ram Mandir, based in 

the West Auckland suburb of 

Henderson, is organising its 

Annual Charity Walk on Sunday, 

February 4, 2018 from Winter 

Garden at the Auckland Domain to 

the Temple Complex located at 11 

Brick Street, Henderson. 

The Charity Walk that started as 

an experiment three years ago, has 

developed into an activity to help 

the wider community. 

Major Partners 

This is a whole-day, 19km walk 

to raise funds for Saint John 

Ambulance. 

There will be entertaining and 

helpful stops on the way at Western 

Springs, Te Atatu South and Tui 

Glenn Park in Henderson. 

We would have Waitakere 

Sports, the Waitemata Police, 

Saint John, elders, youth and other 

organisations associated with the 

Charity Walk. 

We are also hoping to get corporate 

sponsors and assistance from 

other similar organisations. 

More information and updates 

will be on Facebook Page, and 

in the three web editions, Social 

Media and print editions of Indian 

Newslink in the next two months. 

The Concept 

When Shri Ram Mandir was 

nearing completion in 2014, 

its Trustees came up with an 

innovative idea of organising a 

An exterior view of Shri Ram Mandir in Henderson 

(Picture from Facebook) 

Charity Walk with a difference. At 

that time, the objective was to raise 

funds to complete construction. 

But the idea has escalated into 

an activity that has been used to 

assist deserving charities. Last 

year, ‘Ram-A Thon’ Charity Walk 

contributed about $10,000 to 

Starship Hospital. 

This year, Saint John Ambulance 

would be the beneficiary. 

The Difference 

The Charity Walk of Shri Ram 

Mandir Charitable Trust has a 

marked difference, in that it is 

not merely to raise funds, but 

also to highlight the wellbeing 

of the community, promote the 

importance of physical and mental 

fitness, encourage interaction and 

networking, serve people and promote 

diversity, multiculturalism 

and inclusiveness. 

The most important message 

is to religious organisations to 

extend their focus from religious to 

spiritual. This would cater to social 

File Photo of ‘Ram-a-Thon’ held on December 11, 2016, showing 

National List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi addressing the walkers at 

Winter Garden, Auckland Domain. 

aspirations and provide service to 

the community. 

Wider Objectives 

Trust Chairman, Managing 

Trustee and New Zealand’s wellknown 

businessman Pravin Kumar 

deserves credit for having initiated 

the concept of the Charity Walk 

and for expanding its objectives 

year-after-year. 

“We have advised from the outset 

that the purpose of the Charity 

Walk is not fundraising. While that 

is one of the aims, it is one on low 

priority,” he said. 

He said that the multi-objectives 

of the Charity Walk are (1) To 

engage with the wider community, 

including elders, women, youth, 

children (2) To create awareness 

of wellbeing and (3) To help raise 

funds for community betterment. 

“We are pleased that we are 

able to pass the wider message to 

the community for its well-being 

through the Temple Project,” Mr 

Kumar said. 

The walkers taking a break at second pit stop at McCormick Park in Te Atatu 

South (the first Pit Stop was at Western Springs) on December 11, 2016. The 

picture shows (from left) Thakur Ranjit Singh, Phil Twyford, (elected Member 

of Parliament from Te Atatu and now Housing and Urban Development and 

Transport Minister), Waitakere Indian Association President Mahendra Sharma, 

Henderson-Massey Local Board Chairman Shane Henderson, and Pravin 

Kumar. (Pictures supplied by Thakur Ranjit Singh) 

Diverse Community Centre 

While this is a Project undertaken 

by Indians in general and 

Hindus, the aim is to make the 

Community Centre within the 

Temple Complex the hub for 

various community activities in 

Henderson. 

“The Trust hopes to inculcate 

better ethics, teaching through 

religious scriptures, have a place 

for betterment of youth, ladies 

and senior citizens, among others 

and become a centre to enhance 

well-being of community through 

healthy habits and better, longer 

living,” Mr Kumar said. 

‘Message of Change’ 

It is also emphasising the ‘Message 

of Change’ to other religious 

organisations to widen their focus 

from religious to spiritual wellbeing 

of the community where we 

use our morals, ethics and teaching 

for helping others. 

Please mark Sunday, February 4, 

2018 on your calendar for walking 

the talk on extending our beliefs 

for wellbeing of the vulnerable 

people. 

Contact Details 

Further information can be 

obtained from Project Manager 

Mahendra Sharma on 027-6613242. 

Email: family_sharma@hotmail. 

com or from this writer (Thakur 

Ranjit Singh). Email: thakurji@xtra. 

co.nz; Details can also be obtained 

from the Mandir on (09) 8364647 

and Shri Ram Mandir Facebook 

Page. 

Thakur Ranjit Singh is a 

community worker involved in 

select projects such as Shri Ram 

Mandir in Henderson, Auckland. 

He is a postgraduate in 

Journalism from AUT University, 

Auckland and Research Scholar. 

He is a commentator on politics, 

economics, social and community 

issues and does not hesitate to 

convey his views on matters that 

he believes need wider public 

knowledge and discussion. 

Kashmiri Pundits initiate Indian Renaissance for human progress 

Religious fundamentalism-of all sorts-wwill collapse 

On May 29, 1453, following 

the Ottoman attack and 

the fall of Constantinople, 

Greek intelligentsia took 

off and spread all across Europe. 

This catalysed the already-changing 

situation in Italy and began the 

Renaissance in Europe. 

Modern Western Philosophy, 

Science, Inadustrialisation, 

Democracy, Economic Reforms and 

the dilution of the Church can all 

be attributed to this single event in 

human history. 

Mass Exodus in 1990 

On January 19, 1990, following 

the Jihadi onslaught in Kashmir, 

the mass migration of Pundits to 

other parts of India and overseas 

can be seen in a similar context to 

the European Renaissance. 

The ethnic-cleansing of Pundits 

was devastating and it exposed 

India run by self-destroying, weak 

and corrupt government. 

Internal displacement on religious 

grounds in a secular country 

raised questions and a seemingly 

helpless nation, sleeping with eyes 

open, got a jolt. 

This mass of displaced people 

was not just any other group 

that met a raw deal in poor India. 

The Pundits organised wherever 

they could (even in camps) and 

got involved in exposing the weak 

national structures – generating debates 

and arranging workshops to 

awaken the masses. 

Reception Nation 

The Pundits with almost 100% 

literacy, classless society, understanding 

of real Hinduism, love for 

humanity and a lust for learning 

found a very receptive nation. 

It was all spontaneous – a Pundit 

travelling in a train to Mumbai 

or buying some vegetables in 

Bangalore will engage with the people 

around to pass the message that 

India needs a revamp. 

Without any bias, they interacted 

with masses, irrespective of their 

social, political, religious or economic 

standing. 

They lobbied with various 

government and non-government 

power structures all across 

the globe to highlight the imminent 

menace of religious 

fundamentalism. 

The rising Pundit Voice 

The 9/11 massacre and scores of 

other happenings strengthened the 

Pundit voice worldwide. Through 

their intellect, they got media time 

globally and they were heard by 

the modern world - unbalanced 

and confused by the important human 

rights. 

Developed nations started taking 

notice of this, which in turn encouraged 

the Indian state to slowly start 

action at all fronts. 

At an election in any part of 

India, the Pundits started participating 

by organising discussions 

pushing for the agenda around nationalism 

and the necessity of curbing 

infestation by anti-nationals. 

These 300,000 internally displaced, 

along with their relations 

(another 400,000) who had migrated 

from Kashmir between 1947 

and 1990 acted like God-Sent messengers 

to sow the seeds of patriotism 

and breed a new generation 

to take the reins and change the 

fate of an otherwise mismanaged 

country. 

Infusing self-respect 

After about 1000 years of foreign 

rule, infusing the sense of self-respect 

and the belief of self-confidence 

has been the self-assigned 

agenda that these Pundit emissaries 

seem to be achieving great 

success. 

Even on the international front, 

the Pundits have definitely contributed 

towards general awakening 

on the perils of religious fundamentalism 

– which was not understood 

even in the developed world 

just a few decades ago. 

India has gained respect in the 

civilised world and it seems certain 

that the country will be paving way 

ahead for the future of humans on 

Planet Earth. 

Virginia declares January 14 as ‘Pongal Day’ 

Sourced Content 

Veer Khar 

vjkhar@yahoo.com 

The State of Virginia has 

declared that January 

14 will be observed as 

‘Pongal Day,’ a Festival of 

significance to Tamilians all over 

the world. 

Virginia has about 40,000 

Tamilians. 

However, Pongal Day is not a 

public hoaliday, but children can 

take day off from school. 

The following is a Statement 

issued by the ‘Valluvan Tamil 

Academy’ based in Richmond, 

State of Virginia. 

Unanimous Approval 

The Virginia General Assembly 

approved a Resolution introduced 

by Delegate David Bulova 

(D-Fairfax) on February 14, 2017. 

With the passage of the 

Resolution, the Commonwealth of 

Virginia has designated January 

14 in 2018 and in each succeeding 

year as ‘Pongal Day’ in Virginia. 

In his testimony to the General 

Assembly, Delegate Bulova explained 

to his fellow members 

that ‘Pongal Day’ is similar to 

Thanksgiving Day. 

He then described the 

importance of the celebration to 

millions of Tamils. 

Inspiring Heritage 

Committee members in both 

the House and Senate were deeply 

moved and inspired by Tamil 

Heritage and the Resolution was 

approved unanimously. 

By proclaiming January 14th 

as Pongal Day, both Virginia and 

our great nation will have the 

opportunity to recognise the 

myriad contributions that Tamil 

Americans provide to this great 

nation’s social, economic, political 

Awakened People 

Today there are less communal 

riots in India – because there are 

more awakened people who are 

less vulnerable to exploitation. 

There is less corruption – because 

the masses are choosing 

more reliable representatives 

fearlessly. 

People are treading across regional, 

social, linguistic and religious 

divides – because the 

‘Bharati’ within is now more 

important. 

This may be just the beginning 

of a mountainous task ahead, but 

it is definite: The Indian renaissance 

is already in progress - The 

Pundits from Kashmir are destined 

to succeed. 

Veer Khar is a passionate writer 

and debater, expressing his view 

without reservation of fear. He has 

often demonstrated that he cannot 

be intimidated by power or money. 

He is the Immediate Past President 

of Manukau Indian Association, 

renamed last year as Indian 

Association of New Zealand. 

and cultural fabric. 

Pongal Day will be an opportunity 

to remember, celebrate and 

educate future generations about 

the inspirational role that Tamil 

Americans have played and 

continue to play in communities 

across America. 

The Academy thanked its Legal 

Advisor Sriskandarajah for his efforts 

to get Pongal Day recognised 

by the State.


Communitylink 

19



Auckland Muthtamil Sangam plans Pongal celebrations 

Venkat Raman 


Auckland’s Muthamil 

Sangam, which marks 

its 17th Anniversary 

this year, is organising 

‘Pongal Vizha’ (Pongal Festival) 

on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 

Mt Albert War Memorial Hall, 

located at 773, New North Road, 

Mt Albert. 

Muthamil Sangam Secretary 

Karthik Ramanathan said that 

the Programme, scheduled to 

commence at 530 pm, will include 

cultural items, a ‘Pattimanram’ 

(Debate), and speeches. 

“We welcome members of our 

community to present cultural 

items at this annual event. Please 

contact Vice-President and Pongal 

Vizha Coordinator Maninilavan 

Arivukkarasu on 021-0375357 or 

email muthtamilsangam@gmail. 

com,” he said. 

About Thai Pongal 

Thai Pongal is celebrated on the 

first day of the month of Thai on 

the Tamil calendar. 

The day normally falls between 

12th and 15th of the month of 

January in the Christian calendar. 

Thai is the first month of the 

Tamil Almanac, and Pongal 

is a dish of concoction of rice, 

moong dal, jaggery and milk. This 

festival is celebrated by Tamilians 

irrespective of their religious 

leanings. Pongal is therefore 

known as ‘Festival of the Tamils.’ 

The Commonwealth of Virginia 

in the US has declared January 14 

as ‘Pongal Holiday,’ although not 

a public holiday. 

Telugu-speaking People of 

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh 

mark ‘Bhogi’ a day prior to Pongal 

and celebrate ‘Pedda Panduga’ 

on Pongal Day. The third day is 

known as ‘Mattu Pongal’ (Worship 

of the Cow) among Tamilians 

and ‘Kanuma Panduga’ in Telangana 

and Andhra. The fourth day 

is observed as ‘Kannum Pongal’ 

and ‘Mukkanuma’ respectively by 

Tamilians and Telugu-speaking 

people. 

Most Hindus celebrate the 

four-day festivities as ‘Makar 

Sankranti.’ 

Thanksgiving Ceremony 

Thai Pongal is essentially a 

Thanksgiving ceremony with 

farmers celebrating the harvest 

season, paying tributes to Mother 

Nature, the Sun and farm animals 

(mainly cattle) for their assistance 

in reaping good yield. 

Pongal is also a festival to encourage 

social cohesiveness and 

unite people by bringing them 

together at a common function. 

Tamil literature has substantial 

information about the Festival, 

while songs dedicated to Pongal 

are also popular. 

Customs & Celebrations 

Thai Pongal is an expression of 

jubilation over life’s renewal. 

On this day, farming families 

rise early, and after bathing, wear 

new clothes and gather in front 

of their home garden (known as 

Dance School to pay tribute to Lord Shiva 

‘Ohm Namah Shivaya’ on Feb 17 in Lower Hutt 

The Supreme Power of 

Lord Shiva, known as the 

‘Destroyer of all Evils,’ 

and some of His manifestations 

will form the core of 

a dance production called, ‘Ohm 

Namah Shivaya,’ to be held in 

Lower Hutt next month. 

Organised, choreographed, 

produced and directed by 

Prabha Ravi, Director, Natraj 

School of Dance, the dance drama 

is scheduled to be held on 

Saturday, February 17, 2018 

twice- once at 330 pm and again 

at 7 pm at the Little Theatre located 

at Laings Road, Lower 

Hutt, Wellington. 

The following is a report sent 

by Prabha Ravi: 

This year’s thematic production 

is in praise of Lord Shiva, 

the Third Deity of the Trinity, 

with Lord Brahma and Lord 

Vishnu. 

The Sanskrit word ‘Shiva’ 

means Auspicious or Pure. 

He is also known as Lord 

Nataraja, the Lord of Dance and 

Cosmic Dancer. 

Centre of the Universe 

His dance of creation is said 

Prabha Ravi 

(Supplied) 

to have been performed in 

Chidambaram, an important 

Shaiva Centre in South India, a 

place that is identified with both 

the centre of the universe and 

the human heart. 

The forthcoming Dance Drama 

will see various forms of Lord 

Shiva and his Tandavams. 

The gestures of the dance 

would represent Shiva’s five activities 

(Panchakritya): Creation 

(symbolised by the Drum), 

Protection (by the ‘fear-not’ pose 

of the Hand), Destruction (by 

Fire), embodiment (by the Foot 

planted on the ground), and 

Release (by the other Foot held 

aloft). 

Over 50 students of Natraj 

School of Dance will be performing 

in this year’s production. 

The two-hour performance 

will involve children as young as 

five years of age to adults. 

This year two professional 

dancers from USA and Australia 

will also be performing at the 

show. 

Transcending Time 

Bharata Natyam is an art that 

transcends time and age. 

Indian classical dance is not 

merely moving your body to a 

rhythm. It is a discovery of your 

roots, philosophy, mythology, 

language, culture and many other 

facets of life. Every child develops 

one’s personality and 

mind by learning this dance. 

Many youths have benefited 

immensely through the dance 

school in learning this valuable 

art. 

Editor’s Note 

About the School and Master 

Natraj School of Dance is 

marking its 19th Anniversary 

this year, which in essence is 

a tribute to its Founder and 

Director. 

The school specialises in teaching 

Bharatanatyam, and a number 

of its students have performed at 

community events in Wellington. 

More than 500 students have 

thus far been trained in Bharata 

Natyam at their School. 

Ms Ravi has performed in 

Canada, Sri Lanka, India and New 

Zealand. 

Customer service beyond the call of duty inspires 

Amitabh Mehta 

This is a heart-warming, 

feel-good story from 

Noel Leeming (of The 

Warehouse Group) Store 

at Sylvia Park, the largest shopping 

complex in New Zealand. 

This story sets an exceptional 

example in customer service. 

This is about Viraf Todywalla, 

who has inspired us, with his 

motto of optimising customer 

satisfaction, even if it means extraordinary 

efforts. 

Ray Hookway, an elderly customer, 

visited our Store and purchased 

a Panasonic Blu-Ray 

Player recently. 

Thereafter, he spent a lot of 

time but could not get it working. 

Technical Assistance 

He visited the Store again and 

explained his concerns to Viraf. 

Viraf Todywalla at Noel Leeming, Sylvia Park, Auckland 

Viraf reported to Sonu Singh, 

Manager on Duty, who realised 

that Mr Hookway needs assistance 

but no technician was 

available for the next two days. 

He requested Viraf to help the 

customer. 

Viraf visited the residence of 

Mr Hookway on the same day 

and found that the customer’s 

existing old Panasonic Television 

had become faulty, which needed 

repair and hence was not connecting 

with the Blu-Ray Player. 

During the conversation, Viraf 

learnt that the elderly customer 

had recently undergone knee-replacement 

surgery and watching 

television was his main source of 

entertainment. 

Viraf informed Mr Hookway 

about the situation. He felt sad 

about the fact that Mr Hookway 

could not watch the film (DVD) 

that he had purchased to watch 

until his television was repaired. 

To make it worse, it was a Friday. 

‘Muttram’) to cook the traditional 

Pongal. A square pitch is made 

and decorated with Kolam drawings, 

and is exposed to the Sun. A 

fire wood hearth is set up using 

three bricks. Pongal is cooked in 

a clay pot. 

Other ingredients used in 

cooking Pongal are chakkarai 

(brown cane sugar) or kalkandu 

(sugar candy), milk (cow’s milk 

or coconut milk), roasted green 

gram (payaru), raisins, cashew 

nuts and few pods of cardamom. 

Chakkarai Pongal is the sweeter 

version of Pongal. 

Traditionally, Pongal Day is 

the day of release of new Tamil 

films, at least one of which would 

feature a major star. 

Over the past 20 years, she 

has also supported a number 

of community organisations including 

the Filipino community, 

the Multicultural Council 

of Wellington, the Wellington 

Tamil Society, the Upper 

Hutt Multicultural Council, 

the Wellington Mutamizh 

Sangam, Wellington Malayalee 

Association, Wellington 

Malaysian Association, Asia New 

Zealand Diwali Festival and ethnic 

celebrations hosted at New 

Zealand Parliament and for New 

Zealand Police. 

Last year, she was on the 

Queen’s Birthday Honours List 

and presented with Queen’s 

Service Medal (QSM) for her contributions 

to Indian Arts and ethnic 

communities. 

She is also a recipient of the 

Hutt City Mayoral Civic Award 

for her leadership in the field of 

fine arts. 

For further information about 

‘Ohm Namah Shivaya’ and 

tickets, please contact Natraj 

School of Dance on 021-817252; 

Email: natrajschoolofdance@ 

gmail.com 

Viraf went home and took his 

personal 55” television, all by 

himself and installed it with the 

Blu-Ray Player for Mr Hookway. 

On the following day, he realised 

that he could not arrange for 

the repair of Mr Hookway’s television 

through Noel Leeming, as 

a normal procedure, since the television 

set was not purchased 

from them. 

No Panic at Panasonic 

Therefore, Viraf contacted 

Panasonic and explained the 

situation. 

Panasonic agreed to consider 

the issue as a special case. 

Viraf was happy that he could 

help someone in need while following 

Noel Leeming’s core value 

of ‘Making Kiwi Lives Better.’ 

The Television set was repaired 

and delivered to Mr Hookway just 

one day before his 83rd Birthday, 

which made him a very happy 

customer.


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22 Entertainmentlink 

Get ready to go aloft with Veer Manpreet Singh 

The Man with the Golden Voice will be Auckland this month 

Self-discipline begins with mastery of thought. If you don’t control 

Ludhiana, managed by the late Granth Sahib. 

what you think, then you can’t control what you do. 

Baba Sucha Singh. Acquiring additional 

knowledge of Gurmat are unaware of the power and 

Veer said that many of us 

Worry ends when faith in God begins. 

He is all pervading, everywhere. Oh, my mind, meditate on him forever. 

Sangeet and attaining classical 

training in music under the Sahib. “My mission is to raise 

depth of the Shri Guru Granth 

Divine Guru is my mother, Divine Guru is my father; Divine Guru is my Transient Lord and Master. 

God is one. God is Supreme. 

guidance of Ustad Jaswant Singh the awareness of the teachings 

Bhanwra, Veer continued his academic 

of our Gurus and how we can 

pursuit and obtained a use these to enrich our daily life. 

These are some of the 

degree in Commerce. 

Being human is having a fulfilling 

sense of love, life, generosi- 

teachings of the Great 

“My experience at Baru Sahib 

Gurus of Sikhism, each 

and Jwaddi Kalan gave me a solid 

foundation to improve in life, as laid out by our Gurus, bety 

and compassion. Our way of 

revered as ‘Gurudev.’ 

Each of them is a narration of 

Kirtan, religious sermons and gins with humility. They lived 

Veer Manpreet Singh, whose 

discourses on mind and matter. their lives as normal, down-toearth 

voice is not only mellifluous and 

I also had opportunities to travel 

human beings but the wis- 

mesmerising but also inspiring 

extensively in India spreading dom that they acquired brought 

and motivating. 

the wisdom of Shri Guru Granth out their divine qualities to the 

Auckland Performances 

Sahib Ji,” Veer said. 

fore,” he said. 

He will be in Auckland later 

Britain calling 

The Globetrotter 

this month to perform on four 

A few years later, an opportunity 

Now a resident of the United 

occasions. 

arose to go to 

Kingdom, Veer is globetrot- 

His first appearance will be on 

United Kingdom as a Minister ter with repeated programmes 

January 24, 2018 from 7 pm to 

of Religion. Veer studied 

in Kenya, Singapore, Malaysia, 

830 pm at Shri Guru Harkrishan Veer Manpreet Singh 

‘Comparative Studies of World Australia (where he is a facilitator 

at a Sikh Youth camp) and 

Sahib located at 3034, Great (Source: veermanpreet.com) 

Religion’ under the expert guidance 

North Road, New Lynn. 

of Dr Sukhbir Singh Kapoor, New Zealand, at each of which 

His second performance will at Gurdwaras around the world; Academy in Baru Sahib, known a well-known writer on the Sikh he extols the teachings of the 

be on January 27 from 11 am he is an exponent of everthing as the ‘Divine Valley of Peace’ in Faith. 

Gurus. 

to 1230 pm at Shri Dasmesh that is great about Sikhism and Himachal Pradesh. 

“This inspired me to spread Veer Manpreet Singh’s Shabads 

Darbar located at 166 Kolmar everything that is Divine and pious. 

Under the meticulous tutelage the universal message of the and Kirtan Programmes are 

Road, Papatoetoe. 

It is hard not to become his of Dr Iqbal Singh at the Science- 

Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, ap- 

available on iTunes, Spotify, 

Nanaskar Thath Ishar Darbar silent admirer after listening based Institution, young Veer plicable to one and all, going beyond 

YouTube, SoundCloud as well as 

at 98 Great South Road in to Kirtans, notably, ‘Tuhi Tuhi,’ learnt Kirtan, recitation of the 

caste and creed, resting on live recordings on his Facebook 

Manurewa will be the venue ‘Mere Babu Mai Baura,’ ‘Deh Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the mind and its potential,” Veer page. 

for three religious concerts as Shiva Bar Mohe’ and ‘Hai Gobind the values of Sikhism in daily life said. 

His albums, ‘The Journey 

follows: 

Hai Gopal.’ 

through Sewa (service to others), The Tuhi Tuhi Walle 

Begins,’ ‘Mera Mann Loche,’ 

January 27: 7 pm to 1230 pm; From Jhansi to Baru Sahib Kirt Kamayi (working hard with Veer is famous for his ‘Tuhi ‘Sabh Gobind Hai’ and ‘Ek Tuhi’ 

January 28: 11 am to 1230 pm; Born in Jhansi, a town famous 

honesty) and Vand Ke Chakna Tuhi,’ which is considered his are available on iTunes. The Tuhi 

and 7 pm to 830 pm. 

for Jhansi Fort, in Uttar (sharing one’s earning with the Signature ‘Shabad.’ 

Tuhi app can also be downloada- 

Further information can be Pradesh, India, Veer was drawn needy). 

‘Shabad’ refers to a hymn or ble free from iTunes. 

obtained on 027-2702494. into spiritualism by his parents Knowledge at Jwaddi Kalan paragraph or sections of a Text His new Album, ‘Ek Tuhi’ is to 

Veer is not just a singer of at an early age. When he turned Five years later, he joined that appears in Holy Books- in be released soon. 

Kirtans and speaker on religion 14, he was admitted to the Akal Jwaddi Kalan, an Academy in the case of Sikhism, the Guru 

Public participation makes Musical 

show a Boxing Day hit 

Yugendran Vasudevan makes ‘Mannil Indha Kadal’ a people’s affair 

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Yugendran and Shankar Narayanan 

Venkat Raman 


Yugendran Vasudevan 

proved that he was a 

chip-off-the-old-block, 

with musical prowess 

and stage skills at a music concert 

held on the Boxing Day in 

Auckland. 

Titled, ‘Mannil Intha Kaathal’ 

(‘Love on this Earth’), the event, 

held on Tuesday, December 

26, 2017 at the Freeman’s Bay 

Community Hall, attracted more 

than 200 men, women and 

children. 

Tribute to singers and 

composers 

It was an evening essentially to 

pay tribute to the late Malaysia 

Vasudevan Nair, one of the most 

popular playback singers of the 

South Indian film industry and 

listen to some of the immortal 

songs composed by Ilayaraja, A R 

Rahman, M S Viswanathan and 

Viswanathan Ramamurthy. 

Yugendran Vasudevan, the son 

of the legendary singer brought 

nostalgic memories with his mellifluous 

voice, rendering many 

songs that made his father famous, 

later adding variety, by 

singing requests from the audience, 

seated by their side. It was 

this interaction with the public 

that made ‘Mannil Intha Kaathal’ 

unique and enjoyable. 

The success of the evening also 

belongs to Hayma Malini, his 

wife, who chose the songs and 

helped with the organisation of 

the programme. 

Other performers 

The Programme began with a 

rhythmic fusion dance number 

by Ratna Venkat. 

Among the other singers were 

Srisudha Nampally and Aswathy 

Sasidharan. 

Murali Kumar was the Master 

of Ceremonies of the Programme 

which included a mimicry item 

by Gokulraj Kothandaraman. 

Local Singer Ravi 

Muthumanickam, who has organised 

and participated in several 

musical programmes for 

the past ten years was felicitated 

at the event and honoured with 

the title, ‘Isai Thendral’ (‘Musical 

Breeze’).


Thinklink 

23 

WHAT’S DIFFERENT 

Use the photos to find the answer: the moment you lose it 

ATTEMPTATION 

No. 033 

SNAP DECISION No. 024 

No. 023 

In Greek mythology, the goddess of memory, 

Mnemosyne, was visited by the chief god Zeus 

on nine consecutive nights, after which she 

gave birth to nine gifted daughters who became 

The Nine Muses, orpatrons of the then known 

nine liberal arts and sciences that were highly 

valued in ancient cities such as Alexandria in 

Egypt, which housed the 'Seat of the Muses', a 

centre of learning known in Greek as mouseion, 

the origin of the modern English word museum. 

Spot the 10 Differences 

THE 

+ NINE 

= MUSES 

In the addition sum shown different letters 

represent different digits. Rewrite the 

addition sum using the following digits: 

U 

T 

0 1 2 3 4 6 7 9 

Solution to Attemptation No. 022 

O E B D R N A 

0 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 

albert.haddad@attemptation.com 

JUMBLE No. 1756 SUDOKU No. 1077 HI 

TODAY’S TARGET 

10 Words Good 

12 Words Very Good 

14 Words Excellent 

16 Words Genius 

SOLUTION TO 1755 

aspic astir cast cist 

craps crisp crista 

iris mast mastic 

mitis past prism 

PRISMATIC racist 

rapist rasp sari 

scam scamp scampi 

scar scarp scat 

scimitar scram scrap 

scrim scrimp scrip 

script sima sitar 

THE RULES 

smart spar spat 

How many words of 4 letters or more can you make from spica spirit spit sprat 

these 9 letters? In making a word each letter may be sprit stair stamp star 

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

There must be at least one 9-letter word. No slang, foreign stir strap stria strip 

words, plurals, hyphens or apostrophes. 

tapis taps tsar 

CROSSWORD No. 11925 

ACROSS 

1 Woman’s garment 

5 Most important 

8 Spread on 

10 Impolite 

12 Pay attention 

13 Superfluous 

14 Taxi 

15 Relation 

17 Embarrass 

20 Angry 

22 Ornamental fabric 

24 Strike lightly 

26 Interested in (coll) 

27 Relates 

29 Cold dish 

30 Means of control 

32 Choose 

34 Colour 

36 Often repeated 

expression 

37 Tolerate 

38 Permitted by law 

39 Requested 

40 Evaluate 

DOWN 

2 Girl’s name 

3 Second hand 

4 Sincerely zealous 

5 Medical centre 

6 Emotional frenzy 

7 Himalayan mountain 

9 Scheme of action 

11 Overwhelming 

disaster 

14 Young male horse 

16 Overlook an offence 

18 Disparage 

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

7 Ameans to taking a 

certain line (7,6) 

8 Cure film of being 

compassionate (8) 

9 Votes for an 

affirmative (4) 

10 Didn’t make a bid but 

was successful (6) 

12 Bad treatment of 

poor Sue after being 

unwell (3-3) 

14 Lay emphasis on the 

strain (6) 

16 Nothing from one bad 

deed is required (6) 

18 Notice lids put back 

(4) 

20 Don’t shift your 

position: continue to 

deceive (3,5) 

22 Do the reverse of 

creating a diversion? 

(4,1,5,3) 

DOWN 

1 Assist, but don’t grab 

it all! (4,4) 

2 Positions of about 

fifty steps (6) 

3 Part of betrothal 

festivities (4) 

1 

10 

14 

22 

27 

36 

39 

2 

13 

23 

30 

11 

17 

PREVIOUS ANSWERS 

Crossword No. 11907 

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 

S A G E C L A P T R A P 

S R A T E H O S T S 

B E G I N A D A M L 

L L O S S N E P A L 

E S S E N T O T S S 

belly laugh 

3 

18 

34 

38 

28 

No. 17576 

4 Male animal is last 

out with carnivore (8) 

5 Untidy writing goes 

from speedy start to 

go-slow (6) 

6 Give up some 

misplaced 

enthusiasm (4) 

11 Reveal record will 

show a deficit (8) 

13 Explain in detail 

4 

8 

24 

31 

19 

29 

9 

12 

15 

25 

40 

5 

20 

6 

26 

35 

37 

16 

32 

19 Is in possession of 

21 Kind 

23 Antennas 

25 Kneecap 

28 Trapped 

31 Unexpected obstacle 

33 Fruit 

35 Wading bird 

charm is not worth 

considering (5,3) 

15 One of two or one in 

three, roughly (6) 

17 Lands taken from 

Eastern country (6) 

19 Pass time pleasantly 

in drama (4) 

21 The archer got up 

sore (4) 

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 

1. Ladies hair colour changed 

2. Open sign missing 

3. Wand missing 

4. Letter H missing 

5. Ladies top different colour 

6. Stripe colours above door alternated 

7. Hat moved 

8. Table cloth shorter 

9. Rabbits ear missing 

10. Letter M flipped 

7 

33 

21 

E V O H N I W 

0 1 2 3 5 6 7


24 Sportslink 

Cigna to sponsor International Marathon 

Hawke’s Bay in May and Queenstown in November 2018 

Cigna Life Insurance New 

Zealand Ltd has announced its 

sponsorship of the International 

Marathon events along with 

Air New Zealand. 

Cigna will sponsor the 10 Kms run 

in Queenstown and Hawke’s Bay. 

Chief Executive Lance Walker said 

Muslim women to host Netball Tournament 

Supplied Content 

FIANZ 2018 

UNITY CUP 

NETBALL 

TOURNAMENT 

NEW ZEALAND MUSLIM 

SPORTS ASSOCIATION LADIES SPORTS 

Registration forms in by 2nd February 2018 

SATURDAY 1OTH FEBRUARY 2018 

95 BROWNS ROAD, MANUWERA 

8.30AM TO 5.30PM 

CATEGORIES 

MADRASA NETBALL U10 & U13 

JUNIOR NETBALL - U15 

YOUTH NETBALL - U 18 

SENIOR NETBALL - OPEN 

TEAMS THAT WISH TO ENTER 

CONTACT KULTHUM CAMERON 

02102869335 

that the sponsorship announcement 

was in line with the Company’s 

commitment to improving the health 

and wellbeing of its customers. 

“We are committed to supporting 

our communities by encouraging 

everyone to get out and get active. The 

10 kms distance is achievable for most 

people whether walking or running, 

and what better motivation than 

these amazing destination events?” 

Cigna will bring its passion for 

health and wellbeing to all participants, 

including fun activities for 

families at the start and finish lines, 

he added. 

The Ladies Wing of the New Zealand Muslim Sports 

Association (NZMSA) is hosting the ‘Fianz 2018 

Unity Cup’ in Auckland on Saturday, February 10, 

2018. 

The Netball Tournament will be held from 830 am to 530 

pm at 95, Browns Road, Manurewa in South Auckland. 

Indian Newslink is Media Partner of this Tournament. 

Nationwide invitation 

In anotification, Coach and Team Manager Kulthum 

Cameron invited all Muslim women in New Zealand to 

form teams to participate in the upcoming Tournament. 

“We welcome all schools, clubs, families and social 

groups of all playing abilities and experiences for a fun and 

friendly event. Registration fee is $60 per team,” she said. 

Ms Kulthum said that among the categories are Madrasa 

- Under 10 and Under 13; Junior Under 15; Youth Under 

18; and Senior Open 18+. 

“Such Tournaments are essential as NZMSA continues to 

develop a greater understanding of Netball as a unique and 

independent sport and for Muslim women to learn new 

skills and gain valuable technical experiences,” she said. 

Those interested in entering a Team should email cameronkulthum@gmail.com 

Lance Walker (Supplied) 

The Marathons next year 

The Air New Zealand 

Hawke’s Bay International 

Marathon will be held on 

Saturday, May 12, 2018 

and Air New Zealand 

Queenstown International 

Marathon will be held on 

Saturday, November 17, 

2018, with both incorporating 

42 kms marathon, 

21 kms half- marathon, 10 

kms and 3 kms children-run 

options. 

Committed Sponsor 

IRONMAN Oceania 

delivers both events to the 

Hawke’s Bay and Central 

Otago communities. 

New Zealand Regional 

Director Chris Randle said, 

“The best kind of sponsor 

is a sponsor that lives and 

breathes the values of the 

event and of the organisers, 

and Cigna certainly does 

that. They are in the 

business of looking after 

the health and wellbeing of 

New Zealanders, and have 

a long history of providing a 

great service to hundreds of 

thousands of Kiwis. We look 

forward to working closely 

with Cigna on two wonderful 

events that also have the 

ability to impact on people’s 

lives in a hugely positive way.” 

The 10 kms distance is one 

of the fastest growing race 

options, with the 10 kms 

event selling out at this year’s 

Queenstown event. 

“The Cigna 10 kms option 

appeals to a wide range of 

people, of all ages, abilities and 

levels of fun. It is a great way 

for families to be involved 

on the day, or for family and 

friends to gather a group 

together for a fun weekend 

away, sharing great times and 

fun in training and then on 

race day. We are also noticing 

a trend towards dressing up 

for the 10 kms, with plenty 

of colour, a few superhero’s 

and fancy dress, it really is a 

popular race option and will 

continue to grow,” Mr Randle 

said. 

About Cigna New Zealand 

Cigna Life Insurance New 

Zealand Ltd provides health, 

wellness and sense of security 

solutions. Established in New 

Zealand about 50 years ago, 

it protects more than 350,000 

New Zealanders with insurance 

policies. 

Visit www.cigna.co.nz for 

more information and links to 

Facebook and Twitter. 

SPARKLES JEWELLERS 

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208 Great South Road, Opp: Hunters Corner, Papatoetoe, Auckland

Indian Newslink January 15 2018 Digital Edition

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