Indian Newslink May 1, 2018 Digital Edition

2018 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

Issue 391 | May 1, 2018 | Free 

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National Party sets fire on Regional Fuel Tax 

Venkat Raman 

venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Aproposal to impose a 

regional fuel tax that 

may cost Aucklanders 

about ten cents a litre 

has become, alas, a political 

football, rather than a healthy 

discussion as to what the other 

alternatives are to improve the 

transport situation in the country’s 

largest City. 

Ten Years, $28 billion 

Unveiling their plan to improve 

the transport network 

that would cover road and rail 

network over the next ten years 

Simon Bridges (File Photo) 

on April 26, 2018, Transport 

Minister Phil Twyford and 

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff announced 

a massive investment 

of $28 billion to be incurred between 

2018 and 2028, built into 

which is the fuel tax. 

The Colmar Brunton Survey 

conducted independently to 

achieve a representative outcome 

from a cross-section of 

Aucklanders showed that 52% in 

support of a Regional Fuel Tax, 

while consultation responses 

show 46% in favour. 

National to overturn 

National Party Leader Simon 

The Rainbow Corner Group, our Title Sponsors 

We are happy to 

announce that 

the Rainbow 

Corner Group 

of Companies are the Title 

Sponsors of the Eleventh 

Annual Indian Newslink Indian 

Business Awards, the Eighth 

Annual Indian Newslink Sir 

Anand Satyanand Lecture 

and the Fifth Annual Indian 

Newslink Sports & Community 

Awards. 

While the Business Awards 

Presentation Ceremony will 

be held on Monday, November 

26, 2018 at Sky City Convention 

Centre, the Sir Anand Satyanand 

Lecture will be held on Monday, 

July 9, 2018. The probable date 

Rrahul Dosshi 

Bhavini Dosshi 

for Community & Sports Awards 

is October 1, 2018. 

More details will appear in our 

next issue. 

This is the first time that the 

Indian Newslink Events brands 

have acquired the same Title 

Sponsors bringing synergy and 

concentration of promotional 

efforts. 

Bridges told a meeting this 

morning (Monday, April 30, 

2018) that if re-elected, his government 

will overturn the government's 

Regional Fuel Tax and 

leave more money in the ‘back 

pockets of hard-working New 

Zealand families.’ 

Alternatives please 

We are not holding brief for 

the Labour-led government but 

as Aucklanders, we suffer severe 

traffic congestion every day of 

the week, including weekends. 

As Mayor Goff has said, 

about 800 new vehicles enter 

Auckland’s roads every week 

and with a poor network, commuters 

spend more time on the 

road than ever. 

The traffic gridlock is not an 

issue that surfaced in the past 

six months. It has been an issue 

since long and National had 

all the time in the world to fix it 

during their nine-year rule. 

No one likes to pay additional 

taxes, but no one seems to say 

how we can have extra roads, 

wider motorways and better 

public transport including road 

and rail network. 

If there a free lunch? 

About Rainbow Corner Group 

The Rainbow Corner Group 

has diverse operations including 

the Rainbow Corner Early 

Learning Centre, the Rainbow 

Corner Homebased Early 

Learning Service, the Rainbow 

Corner Early Learning Centre 

(India), The Rainbow Corner 

Childcare Catering Services, ECE 

Connect Mobile App/Website 

and the Rainbow Corner 

Consultancy Services. 

The Rainbow Corner Group 

Directors Rrahul and Bhavini 

Dosshi said that they were delighted 

to be the Title Sponsors 

for Indian Newslink brands. 

“We believe that we compliment 

each other’s best attributes. 

Our strengths are based on 

strong personal integrity and respect 

for client’s needs, with the 

ability to report in an accurate, 

thorough and timely fashion to 

facilitate speedy follow-ups to 

the clients’ benefit.” 

Major Initiatives 

The Rainbow Group has 

two important initiatives that 

would place it on the list of fastest 

growing companies in New 

Zealand. One of these is the 

opening of the Early Learning 

Centre in Mumbai on September 

15, 2018 and the other is a major, 

multi-million-dollar enterprise 

in Flatbush in Auckland in 

November 2018. 

Details of these and other projects 

will appear in our next 

issue. 

“We look forward to working 

with Indian Newslink in 

promoting early learning, childcare, 

child nutrition, the wellbeing 

of our teachers and clients, 

health and safety and all our clients. 

The Title sponsorship of 

three premier events of our favourite 

newspaper will help us to 

leverage our band value and increase 

awareness of our products 

and services,” Mr and Mrs Dosshi 

said. 

300 Massey Road 

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ateam of Licensed Immigration Adviser /Ex-Immigration Officer. 

We provide tailor-made solutions to individual 

migrant and their families seeking to study,work, 

invest,dobusiness and livein 

NewZealand permanently 

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

Level1-166 Harris Road, 

East Tamaki, Auckland 

www.immigrationadvicenz.com 

A view of Rainbow Early Learning Centre, Takanini, Auckland 

Like us on “Facebook” 

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MAY 1, 2018 

02 Homelink 

Details of plagued $104 million IT project revealed 

Shane Cowlishaw 

Adelayed, $104 million 

government IT project 

was plagued by a litany 

of problems including an 

unwillingness to pay the salaries 

required to attract skilled staff. 

Customs began work on the Joint 

Border Management System (JBMS) 

in 2011, a project in partnership 

with the Ministry of Primary 

Industries aimed at merging and 

streamlining its ageing computer 

systems. 

With an initial budget of $76 million, 

the work was awarded to IBM 

who pledged to have it completed 

by 2012. 

But the budget blew out to 

more than $100 million, as did the 

completion date by five years. 

While the system is now largely 

complete, Customs is still without a 

“risk and intelligence tool” designed 

to help detect drugs at the border 

by analysing up to 150 pieces of 

information on each incoming 

shipment. 

During the drawn-out process, 

Customs said little about the delays, 

but a ‘lessons learned’ review 

carried out by Deloitte has revealed 

a project beset by problems. 

Unwilling to pay for top talent 

Describing the JBMS as a “once 

in 20-year event” for agencies like 

Customs which required skills not 

widely available in New Zealand, 

A New Zealand Customs Officer guides ayoung passenger through high-tech scanner system at Auckland International 

Airport (Picture from New Zealand Customs Facebook) 

the report found serious failings in 

the way the project filled those roles. 

Hiring that expertise from 

overseas was a necessity but did 

not come cheap and the project 

had tried to unfairly fill roles with 

unsuitable staff who had no 

experience setting up such a large 

and complex project. 

“In the early stages, the programme 

was not willing to pay the 

rates required to attract the right 

capability in New Zealand or from 

offshore. This led to many instances 

of individuals not ideally matched 

to roles, and this compromised the 

health of both those individuals and 

the programme.” 

Tick Box Exercise 

The report, which did praise 

Customs management for being 

transparent about the problems, 

said that many felt the project had 

become a“tick box” exercise rather 

than one that actively thought about 

how problems could be solved. 

“As the programme progressed, 

the vendor did not commit the resources 

required to the programme. 

The level of commitment only raised 

once the Minister of Finance raised 

attention to the vendor executive 

that they were not delivering.” 

It also began to affect staff morale 

within Customs, some who began to 

resent the resource-hungry project. 

“Over its seven years, JBMS took 

its toll on the teams and broader 

agencies that it was delivering 

into. Over time, the perception in 

Customs was that JBMS was ‘why 

we weren’t doing anything else’ and 

this impacted JBMS’s ability to get 

broader organisational input and 

support.” 

Dominating Resources 

Murray Young, Chief Information 

Officer at Customs, said aperception 

that a large project was dominating 

resources was common in such 

situations. 

There had been a demand for a 

range of skills as the project progressed 

and in the early stages some 

tasks had been done in-house when 

it should have been done externally, 

he said. 

“There is no doubt that the project 

took longer than it should have 

taken for awhole heap of reasons.” 

IBM struggles 

Technology giant IBM was 

awarded the contract for the project 

but struggled to deliver. 

After a string of cost blow outs 

and unexpected delays, a new agreement 

was signed in 2014 but two 

years later IBM failed to complete 

the project within the agreed time 

frame. 

That left Customs to complete the 

remaining work on the complicated 

risk and intelligence tool, using $27.4 

million shaved off the sum payable 

to IBM. 

It is scheduled to be completed in 

2019. 

The Deloitte report was critical 

of the corporation’s work on the 

project, which had only improved 

once a top government minister 

contacted senior management. 

“As the programme progressed, 

the vendor did not commit the resources 

required to the programme. 

The level of commitment (was) only 

raised once the Minister of Finance 

raised attention to the vendor executive 

that they were not delivering.” 

Customs had been left hamstrung 

by a contract that heavily favoured 

IBM, who had assured it was 

capable of undertaking such a large 

and complex project despite recommendations 

that it be split up. 

“The vendor’s reassurance of their 

ability to deliver a project of this size 

led to the adoption of their methodologies, 

which many felt were not 

suited to this type of programme.” 

Young said IBM’s New Zealand 

arm had struggled with resourcing 

initially, but had stepped up and 

largely finished the programme off. 

When asked about why the 

Minister had to step in, Young was 

uncertain. 

“You are right in what you are 

quoting, I think there was a lot more 

to that transaction than just that one 

discussion.” 

IBM was contacted for an 

interview but responded: “The Joint 

Border Management System is an 

important transformational project 

to modernise New Zealand’s border 

control. Customs is a valued client 

with both parties committed to its 

success.” 

Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri 

was unavailable for an interview. 

Shane Cowlishaw is Wellington-based 

National Affairs Editor 

of Newsroom, an independent, New 

Zealand-based news and current affairs 

site, founded by Mark Jennings, 

former Head of News and Current 

Affairs at Media works (TV3) and 

Tim Murphy, former Editor-in-Chief 

of the New Zealand Herald. Newsroom 

is powered by the generosity 

of people who support its mission 

to produce fearless, independent 

and provocative journalism. Indian 

Newslink has published the above 

Report and Picture under a Special 

Agreement with www.newsroom. 

co.nz 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 

National ListMPbasedd in 

Manukau East 

Contact 

A 

P 

F 

E 

1/131Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland 

09 278 9302 

09 278 2143 

bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz 

facebook.com/bakshiks 

@bakshiks 

bakshi.co.nz 

Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP, 1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe.


Auckland company in money-laundering controversy 

Suzanne Snively 

Investigative journalists 

have found suspicious 

foreign trusts in New 

Zealand. 

New Zealand remains 

vulnerable to the flow of 

illicit offshore assets. 

An Auckland company 

is caught up in an international 

money laundering 

controversy after it was 

identified helping to 

manage a network of New 

Zealand-registered companies 

and trusts for its secret 

clients. 

Murder of Journalist 

A team of 46 journalists 

from 18 news organisations 

including Radio New Zealand 

(RNZ) is pursuing the 

work of murdered Maltese 

journalist-blogger Daphne 

Caruana Galizia. 

She was reporting on Maltese 

government corruption 

and Azerbaijan-linked money 

laundering when she 

was killed by a car bomb on 

October 16, 2017. 

In an article published 

by RNZ on April 19, 

2018, Auckland-based 

wealth management firm 

Denton Morrell has been 

identified as the parent 

and controlling entity of 

a number of Azerbaijan 

linked companies holding 

millions of dollars of foreign 

property assets for hidden 

owners. Denton Morrell 

is owned and managed by 

Matthew Butterfield. 

According to the article, 

“(Butterfield) initially 

headed a company called 

Allianza, where he took 

over managing a set of high 

value offshore clients from 

a company called Equinor 

Trust. 

According to Interest. 

co.nz, the trust’s Executive 

Director Lachlan Williams 

told the Reserve Bank of 

New Zealand that it specialised 

in New Zealand foreign 

trusts for high net worth 

families. 

Another Iteration 

It managed “almost 150 

trusts” with assets “conservatively” 

worth more than 

five billion Euros. 

A Google search revealed 

another iteration: Denton 

Morrell (USA) LLC, a legal 

entity registered under 

the law of State Nevada 

managed by one person: 

Matthew JButterfield. 

This article is striking. The 

amount of money involved, 

and the newness of this 

activity are a strong signal 

that more needs to be done 

to prevent New Zealand 

trusts and companies from 

laundering foreign assets 

acquired under suspicious 

circumstances. We are left 

wondering just how much 

corrupt wealth is sheltered 

through New Zealand. 

The work of The Daphne 

Project highlights the 

value and need for a public 

repository of the overseas 

beneficial owners of assets 

registered in New Zealand 

for all legal. 

Suzanne Snively is Chair 

of the Wellington-based 

Transparency International. 

The Daphne Project 

From RNZ 

While the inquiry into 

the murder of Journalist 

Daphne Caruana Galizia 

is ongoing, it is widely believed 

that she was targeted 

because of her ongoing 

investigation into Maltese 

government corruption and 

international money-laundering. 

Daphne spoke about the 

scandal on Radio New Zealand 

(RNZ) in 2016 following 

publication of the Panama 

Papers, which showed that 

the Maltese Energy Minister 

and Prime Minister’s Chief 

of Staff had secret New Zealand 

trusts called the ‘Haast 

Trust and Rotorua Trust.’ 

At the time she was killed, 

Daphne was researching 

new leads about secret 

financial links between 

the Malta and Azerbaijan 

leaderships, and a private 

bank in Malta called Pilatus 

Bank. 

The destroyed car; Inset: Daphne Caruana Galizia 

(Picture Courtesy: Sky News) 

A team of 46 journalists from the 16 

countries have continued her work, 

under the banner of ‘The Daphne Project,’ 

collecting more than 750,000 files and official 

documents in order to complete and publish 

the stories of the slain journalist. 

The project motto is “They killed the 

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03 

journalist. But not the stories.” 

The investigation has found 

evidence of a network of New 

Zealand-registered companies and 

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As a part of the Daphne Project, RNZ 

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Investigative Journalist Nicky Hager. 

His reporting shines a light on a 

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The investigation has revealed more 

connections to a world-wide network 

of companies and assets connected to 

the families of Azerbaijan leaders. 

The Daphne Project has revealed 

that many of the companies in the 

Azerbaijan-Pilatus network linked 

back to an address in Parnell, Auckland, 

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04 Homelink 

Largest civil construction programme to keep Auckland moving 

RNZ Auckland 

Nearly $30 billion will 

be spent on Auckland 

transport in the next 10 

years, partly funded by a 

fuel tax, private finance and tolls. 

The Government and Auckland 

Council announced the new 

Auckland Transport Alignment 

Project (ATAP) at Newmarket train 

station today. 

Billed as New Zealand's 

largest ever civil construction 

programme, $28 billion will be 

poured into light rail and roading 

projects at Penlink and Mill Road. 

Heavy rail and bus upgrades, 

safety improvements and more 

dedicated cycle lanes are also part 

of the plan. 

The projects will be funded by 

$4.4 billion raised from the new 

Auckland fuel tax, increased revenue 

the National Land Transport 

Fund and Crown Infrastructure 

Partners contributions. 

Public Private Partnership 

Transport Minister Phil Twyford 

said that the funding plan also included 

Public Private Partnerships 

(PPP). 

“We are putting half a billion 

dollars into Mill Road which is 

going to take a lot of pressure off 

the Southern Motorway between 

Manukau and Drury, and $200 

million into Penlink, which we 

are intending to do as a PPP. It's 

perfectly designed as atoll road,” 

Mr Twyford said. 

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said 

$1.8 billion was set aside for light 

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and Transport Minister Phil Twyford addressing apress conference this morning in Auckland 

(Photo taken from RNZ Video) 

rail but extra funding would be 

announced shortly. 

He said a fuel tax was a better 

option than raising rates. 

“Auckland has to contribute its 

share and the regional fuel tax allows 

us to do that. The more than 

$4 billion expenditure it unlocks is 

critically important to progressing 

a better transport system for 

Auckland. To raise the same sum 

from rates would result in a total 

rate increase of over 13% this year. 

Alternatively, to do nothing would 

see Auckland become increasingly 

gridlocked,” Mr Twyford said. 

Major Investments 

ATAP major investments include 

(a) Committed projects like the City 

Rail Link and northern motorway 

improvements (b) Light Rail (c) 

Eastern Busway (Panmure-Botany) 

(d) Airport-Puhinui State Highway 

upgrade, including a high 

quality public transport link to 

an upgraded Puhinui rail station 

(e) Bus Priority Programme, to 

more rapidly grow Auckland’s bus 

lane network and support faster, 

more reliable and more efficient 

bus services (f) Albany-Silverdale 

bus improvements (g) Lower cost 

East West Link to address key 

freight issues in the area (h) Papakura-Drury 

Motorway widening 

(I) First phase of the Mill Road 

Corridor (j) Penlink (tolled) 

Walking and Cycling Programme 

to expand the network 

and complete key connections 

(e.g. SkyPath) (k) Significant programme 

of safety improvements 

(l) New transport infrastructure 

to enable greenfield growth (m) 

Network optimisation and technology 

programme to make the best 

use of our existing network and 

(n) Rail network improvements 

including electrification to Pukekohe, 

additional trains and other 

track upgrades 

Nirupa George appointed 

Mayor’s Chief of Staff 

Supplied Content 

Mayor Phil Goff has 

announced that Nirupa 

George will take on the 

role of Chief of Staff for 

the Mayoral Office when Taha 

Macpherson returns to a senior role 

at the Minister of Foreign Affairs and 

Trade (MFAT) from May 1, 2018. 

Ms George was the Mayor’s 

Principal Political Advisor and was 

his Campaign Manager during the 

Mayoral campaign. 

Mayor Goff issued the following 

statement: 

Tribute to Taha Macpherson 

Taha has added a great deal to the 

Mayoral Office during his time here. 

He has brought significant policy and 

political management experience to 

the role. 

He is going back to MFAT to pursue 

a great opportunity. When Taha took 

on the role in my office, he advised 

me that he would return to Foreign 

Affairs, and I wish him all the very 

best with his new role. 

Tribute to Nirupa George 

I am pleased that Nirupa is taking 

on the Chief of Staff role in my office. 

I have worked with her for several 

years and I value the energy and 

Indian Newslink has published 

the above Report and Picture 

under a Special Agreement with 

www.rnz.co.nz 

Nirupa George 

(Picture Supplied) 

strong political skills she brings to 

my office. 

Nirupa has previously been 

my Acting Chief of Staff so she 

brings a good mix of political skill, 

knowledge and experience to this 

role. 

Ms George’s appointment is 

effective from late April following 

Mr Macpherson’s return to the 

MFAT on May 1, 2018. 

Claire Rorke has been 

appointed to the role of Principal 

Government and Governance 

Relationship Advisor to provide 

political advice to the Mayor’s 

Office. 

She will join the Mayoral office 

in mid-April. 

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Posthumous Master’s degree 

to Indian student 

Venkat Raman 


The Waikato University 

awarded a postgraduate 

degree (Masters) in 

Business Management 

to a young student who last 

week under tragic circumstances 

in Tauranga. 

At a formal ceremony held at 

the University campus in Hamilton 

on Friday, April 27, 2018, 

Kishore Kumar Aravindan was 

posthumously honoured with 

the qualification for which 

he had arrived from India in 

November last year. 

The 27-year-old student was 

swept away by rising waters 

along with his classmate and 

another friend, while posing 

for photographs. The young 

woman managed to survive. 

She was treated at the Waikato 

Hospital and later discharged. 

Tourist Attraction 

Their friend Ashwin Balasubramaniam, 

who was taking 

photographs of the pair from a 

distance, told Indian Newslink 

that it was his worst nightmare. 

“Three of us are in the 

same class at the University 

of Waikato, pursuing our 

postgraduate (Masters) courses 

in Business and Management. 

We arrived only in November 

2017 and became good friends. 

We had heard of the Omanawa 

Falls in Tauranga and its sylvan 

Kishore Kumar Aravindan (Picture supplied 

surroundings and decided to 

visit yesterday,” he said. 

Tragedy unfolds 

Ashwin said that they 

reached the top of the falls 

by 230 pm and having taken 

a few pictures, decided to 

go down to the Falls, where 

the unfortunate incident 

occurred. 

“There was a sudden gush 

of water; Kishore and the 

other friend were swept 

away. The Police and a Rescue 

helicopter arrived at the scene 

about 45 minutes later. The 

other person was rescued but 

Kishore could not be found 

despite intense search. His 

body was found in a 17-meter 

pit the next day,” he said. 

His uncle Sanjay Viswanathan 

arrived from Chennai on 

April 25 to attend to the formalities 

relating to the release 

of the body of young Kishore, 

including consular matters. 

Gratitude expressed 

Mr Sanjay told this reporter 

that the understanding, 

goodwill and support extended 

by the officials of the Indian 

High Commission in Wellington 

in concluding the procedures 

speedily were remarkable. 

“It is unfortunate that my 

visit to this beautiful country 

has not been pleasant. But 

I am grateful to the officials 

of the Waikato University 

for the posthumous Master’s 

degree conferred on Kishore. 

My nephew achieved his 

objective of obtaining such a 

good qualification, although 

not during his lifetime. I am 

also thankful to all his friends, 

officials and members of the 

Tamil community in Hamilton 

and New Zealand and to Indian 

Newslink for their timely 

and ready support. I hope to 

come to New Zealand again to 

see places of interest and meet 

people who have become my 

friends during this unfortunate 

trip,” he said. 

Mr Sanjay has since returned 

to Chennai by Emirates in the 

same aircraft which carried the 

coffin of Kishore. 

Homelink 

05


06 Educationlink 

New West Auckland branch brings Brilliance close to you 


Brilliance Educare Centre has 

opened a new branch in West 

Auckland (at 176, Lincoln Road, 

Henderson) bringing excitement for 

eager parents and students in the 

region. 

This achievement came after 

completing a decade in Tutoring. 

Quality education for our children 

seems harder and harder to find. A 

lack of personal help within schools 

have left children wishing for more. 

This is where Brilliance Educare 

Center is so successful. 

Dream to reality 

What began as a dream to help 

students achieve all their goals in 

school has grown into a center of 

numerous success stories. 

Brilliance Educare Center, which 

has now been serving students across 

Auckland for the past ten years, 

achieved outstanding results in 2017. 

The tried and tested formula of 

small batches, once a week classes 

and quality teachers are the reasons 

for this success. 

Student Achievers 

Siddharth Kumar (ACG Parnell) 

was overjoyed at achieving 98% 

in his AS (Yr 12) Maths exam, the 

culmination of a year of work with 

Brilliance. 

Brilliance student Chriselle Murzel- 

Some of the students at Brilliance Educare Centre, 

Auckland (Supplied 

lo from Baradene College too was 

ecstatic over achieving 127 excellence 

credits in her Level 3 examinations. 

Another student, Paulse Anithottam 

(SPC) was grateful to the institution 

for their help in his final mark of 96% 

in AL (Yr 13) Mathematics. 

Do we have Hindi teaching capability in New Zealand? 

Have your say on this Survey 

“Brilliance inspired me to stay on 

top of all the content, and the weekly 

help which I received was crucial in 

helping me realise my dream of an A* 

in Alevel!” he said. 

Strategic Location 

The institution’s strategic location 

at 20 Frost Road, Mt Roskill makes it 

easy for commutation; and the opening 

of a second branch in Henderson 

at 176, Lincoln Road is more exciting 

news for eager parents and students 

in West Auckland. 

Pursuing excellence 

Founder and Mathematics teacher 

Raji Chacko (MSC, B Ed, PGDME) 

hoped that Brilliance will be able to 

provide even more students with 

excellent, personal help in all their 

subjects with the opening of the new 

branch. 

“Our goal is to help students to 

achieve beyond what they aim for, 

beyond what the school expects of 

them and we have the best teachers 

in the business to do this. They have 

wide experience in teaching at top 

schools in Auckland,” he said. 

Promising Year 

2018 is another promising year for 

the institution, and with the batches 

filling up at afast pace, the best 

advice would be to get in early! 

Website: visit www.brillianceducare.co.nz 

Brilliance Educare Centre offers 

help in NCEA, CIE and IB syllabus for 

all school subjects, all year levels. 

For more information, please call 

(09) 6204690 or 021-02405015. 

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Join our English for Migrants programme 

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g g g 

to contact your local centre 

Dr Pushpa 

Wood 

Would you like to 

Hindi language 

being taught in 

New Zealand 

schools? 

If yes, this is your 

opportunity to help us create a 

complete picture of our teacher 

capability by completing an 

online survey. 

Teaching Hindi language in 

New Zealand: Teacher Survey 

Over the years, a call for 

listing Hindi as one of the international 

languages in the New 

Zealand education system has 

been gaining strong support. 

The community has been 

very vocal about the need to 

promote, strengthen and support 

this fourth most-spoken 

language in the country and 

has been making submissions 

to the government. 

More information needed 

It has been felt that to 

strengthen our request to 

include Hindi as another 

language, we need to gather 

further information. 

We would therefore like to 

invite you to participate in this 

survey to help us understand 

the capacity and capability of 

the Hindi language teachers in 

New Zealand. 

We developed this Survey 

in consultation with other language 

experts in New Zealand 

and overseas. The information 

gathered through this Survey 

will help us to develop a 

comprehensive strategy for 

teaching and use of Hindi 

language in New Zealand. 

We are pleased to report that 

the survey is supported by the 

High Commission of India, New 

Zealand. 

Accessing the Survey 

We thank you for your 

participation in this survey. 

To complete the survey please 

click on the link below 

Teaching Hindi Language 

This project has been 

evaluated by peer review and 

judged to be low risk. 

Consequently, it has not 

been reviewed by one of the 

University’s Human Ethics 

Committees. 

The researcher(s) named in 

this document are responsible 

for the ethical conduct of this 

research. 

If you have any concerns 

about the conduct of this 

research that you want to raise 

with someone other than the 

researcher(s), please contact Dr 

Brian Finch, Director (Research 

Ethics). Email: humanethics@ 

massey.ac.nz 

Dr Pushpa Wood is Director of 

Westpac Massey Fin-Ed Centre. 

She is leading the above-mentioned 

Survey. (File Picture) 

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08 Educationlink 

Heads up on Mental Health issues in Auckland 

Friday, May 18 

at The 

Wave Room, 

Wellesley Street, 

AUT 

Venkat Raman 


The importance of addressing 

mental health problems and 

challenges, early intervention 

and the cultural influence 

in delivery and acceptance will 

be among the issues that will be 

discussed at a special meeting in 

Auckland later this month. 

Distinguished Speakers 

Professor Kamaldeep (popularly 

known as Dr Kam) Bhui will be 

the main speaker at the meeting 

scheduled to be held on Friday, May 

18, 2018 between 12 pm and 130 pm 

at The Wave Room (WG 308) of the 

City Campus of AUT University City 

Campus at 55 Wellesley Street East. 

Among the others in the 

distinguished panel of speakers 

are Professor Gin (Gurjhinder) 

Singh Malhi, Executive Director 

and Clinical Director at CADE Clinic 

of Royal North Shore Hospital and 

Psychiatry Chair at the Northern 

Clinical School of the University of 

Sydney, Dr Heather Came, Maori 

Health Research Centre and Dr 

Professor Kamaldeep 

(Dr Kam) Bhui (Supplied) 

Alayne Hall, National Institute for 

Public Health and Mental Health 

Research at AUT. 

Respectful Dialogue 

In ‘Elements of Culture and 

Mental Health,’ a book that he has 

edited, Dr Bhui said that an equal 

and respectful dialogue should be 

established between people from 

different cultures to ensure that 

equal partnership is in place and 

that mental health help is meaningful 

and cultural and resource 

appropriate. 

“If an intervention is not meaningful 

or culturally appropriate, it is 

unlikely to be taken up or be viewed 

as being of benefit to potential 

users. Services should build on 

what individuals and communities 

know about their own survival and 

coping systems, and strategies based 

on these are likely to be both more 

appropriate and more effective 

(Tribe & de Silva, 1999; Wessells, 

1999),” he said. 

Dr Bhui said that the importance 

of community engagement in improving 

health in the UK population 

Professor Gin (Gurjhinder) Singh Malhi 

(Supplied) 

has been noted by the National 

Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence 

(NICE), which has developed 

specific guidance on the subject. 

“In addition, best practice in 

health and social care services 

stresses the role of service user 

involvement to ensure that services 

are appropriate and accessible,” he 

said. 

Extensive research 

Dr Bhui has undertaken extensive 

research on unexplained medical 

complaints, mental illness, suicide, 

Mental Health Act detentions, ethnic 

inequalities of pathways to care, 

racism, discrimination, violence and 

Public Mental Health. 

His focus is on how the best 

quality care, safety and access to 

treatment can be achieved in services, 

and how to encourage resilience 

and wellbeing. His clinical work is 

across some of the most deprived 

areas in UK. His current post 

involves assessment and treatment 

of people with complex personality 

disorders alongside other psychiatric 

and social problems. 

Dr Alayne Hall (Supplied) 

About Dr Kam Bhui 

Professor Kamaldeep Bhui is 

Professor of Cultural Psychiatry 

& Epidemiology at Queen Mary 

University of London and Head 

of Department in the Centre for 

Psychiatry. He is also an Honorary 

Consultant Psychiatrist in East 

London Foundation Trust and a 

psychoanalytic psychotherapist. 

He is Director at the Cultural 

Consultation Service at Barts and 

is Director of a number of MSc 

programmes in Mental Health. He 

is also the co-founder of Careif, an 

international mental health charity 

based in London that promotes 

work for young people and their 

health through culture, sport and 

arts. 

In 2017 he was awarded a CBE for 

services to mental health research. 

His research and practice interests 

on health include social exclusion, 

work characteristics, cultural 

psychiatry, epidemiology, health 

services research and psychological 

therapies. 

Queen Elizabeth II appointed him 

Dr Heather Came (Picture by Teuila Fuatai for the 

‘Newsroom’ (Published Under Special Arrangement) 

as Commander of the British Empire 

(CBE) on New Year’s Day in 2017. 

Tributes to Dr Bhui 

Former Commonwealth Foundation 

Chairman, Careif Patron and 

former New Zealand Governor-General 

Sir Anand Satyanand said that 

Professor Bhui has represented the 

face of psychiatry and its impact on 

ethnic and cultural minorities for 

more than 20 years. 

“The uptake of this in the psychiatric 

medicine mainstream is a viable 

testament to his efforts,” he said in a 

statement by Careif. 

Anil Thapliyal, Chief Executive, 

HealthTRX, Adjunct Professor, AUT 

University and Careif International 

Advisor in New Zealand, said, “As 

a renowned researcher of international 

repute, Professor Bhui was 

invited by the New Zealand Ministry 

of Health as a keynote speaker at 

an Asian Health Conference held in 

Auckland and Wellington in 2005. 

His research continues to make contribution 

to the Psychiatry domain 

development across geo-political 

boundaries.”


Bainimarama speaks of practical and honest governance 

Fiji lists its first Green Bond at London Stock Exchange 

Venkat Raman 


Fiji’s Prime Minister Josaia 

Voreqe Bainimarama 

has called on the Fijian 

Diaspora in the United 

Kingdom to exercise their 

democratic right and vote in the 

next general elections due to be 

held in Fiji this year. 

Editor’s Note: Fiji allows dual citizenship 

and those who have a 

valid Fijian passport (issued for 

qualified former Fijian nationals) 

can vote. The diplomatic missions 

of Fiji provide more information 

on the procedures and process 

involved. 

Speaking to the Fijian community 

in London (on April 23) where 

he attended the Commonwealth 

Heads of Government Meeting, Mr 

Bainimarama said that his government 

believed in practical, honest 

and inclusive governance. 

Promoting Fijian values 

“Whatever our political differences, 

we can all agree on certain 

values that define us as Fijians. 

And the first and foremost of these 

is that we are a caring Nation. A 

Nation in which we care for each 

other and care about the people 

living in other nations as well,” he 

said. 

Mr Bainimarama said that his 

government addressed equality of 

opportunity for all Fijians, through 

empowerment, including access to 

free education, economic prosperity 

“ensuring that not a single Fijian 

is left behind.” 

Frank Bainimarama at the London Stock 

Exchange on April 18 to launch Fiji’s first 

Green Bond 

Describing Attorney General and 

Minister of Economy Aiyaz Sayed- 

Khaiyum as his ‘right-hand man,’ 

Mr Bainimarama said that they 

are focused on the consistent and 

steadfast financial management of 

the Fijian economy. 

“Because we know that 

everything else flows from that: 

the record number of jobs we 

have created, the new infrastructure 

everywhere – roads, airports 

and all manner of development 

– and our ability to provide free 

schooling, tertiary scholarships 

and loans, free medicine and water 

and subsidised electricity for 

low income earners, the first social 

security system in Fijian history,” 

he said. 

Global Warming dangerous 

As the President of ‘COP23’ (the 

23rd Annual Conference of the 

Parties to the 1992 UN Framework 

Convention on Climate Change), 

Mr Bainimarama is a vociferous 

campaigner on addressing global 

warming as a global issue. 

“I trust the intelligence and com- 

mon sense of the Fijian people. 

They know that I am fighting for 

their interests at home and overseas. 

And I draw great strength 

from the support as President of 

COP23. Because the Fijian people 

know that this is a struggle not 

only for our own generation but 

generations of Fijians to come,” he 

said. 

“We must persuade the world to 

limit the increase in global warming 

that is causing these events to 

no more than 1.5 degree Celsius 

above that of the pre-industrial 

age. We must succeed with the 

Talanoa Dialogue to raise the ambition 

of all nations to make deeper 

cuts in the carbon emissions 

that are causing this warming,” he 

added. 

Mr Bainimarama said that global 

warming is reaching dangerous 

limits and that global temperature 

would rise by at least 3 degrees 

by the end of the Century (not 1.5 

degrees). 

“That would be catastrophic for 

Fijilink 

09 

the whole planet,” he said. 

Green Bond Listing 

On April 18, 2018, Fiji became 

the first South Pacific country to 

start trading on the green bond 

segment of the London Stock 

Exchange Group. Mr Bainimarama 

was present at the Exchange at the 

start of the first international green 

bond. 

London Stock Exchange Group 

Chairman Donald Bryndon said 

that Fiji’s landmark transaction 

represents the first international 

sovereign green offering from 

an emerging economy and from a 

Commonwealth country. 

Source: Government of Fiji, Suva 

Bainimarama-Ardern meet thaws relations 


Fiji and New Zealand have 

explored new opportunities 

to increase flows 

of bilateral trade and investment 

during a meeting between 

Prime Minister Josaia 

Voreqe Bainimarama and his 

New Zealand counterpart Prime 

Minister Jacinda Ardern in 

London on April 19, 2018. 

The Prime ministers met on the 

side-lines of the Commonwealth 

Heads of Governments Meeting 

(CHOGM) held in the British 

Capital on April 19 and 20. 

Tapping potential 

Mr Bainimarama said that 

there was a great deal of unrealised 

potential between the two 

countries in the arenas of trade 

and investment and pointed to 

the Fiji-NZ Business Council as an 

effective vehicle for greater economic 

exchange. 

Frank Bainimarama with Jacinda Ardern in 

London on April 19 

(DEPTFO News and Picture) 

He welcomed the growth of tourism 

arrivals from New Zealand to 

Fiji last year. 

In their talks, Ms Ardern pledged 

to take a new approach to regional 

cooperation, moving from simply 

being a donor toward becoming 

a more involved partner in the development 

of Fiji and other Pacific 

Island nations. 

Mr Bainimarama thanked New 

Zealand for its continued assistance 

of Fiji and its Pacific neighbours in 

the immediate aftermath of tropical 

cyclones over the years. 

He said that Fiji valued its relationship 

with New Zealand, 

noting the recent progress and 

strengthening of the bilateral 

relationship. 

Ms Ardern reiterated New 

Zealand’s support to Fiji’s COP23 

presidency, acknowledging that 

her country needs to play a bigger 

role in the fight against climate 

change. She voiced full 

support of restricting the average 

global temperature increase to 

within 1.5 degrees. 

Mr Bainimarama briefed Ms 

Ardern on Fiji’s preparations for 

the 2018 General Elections and 

thanked New Zealand for its continued 

assistance and support in 

patrolling Fiji’s exclusive economic 

zone over the past 18 months. 

Additional Reading: Our 

Leader, ‘Another forward step 

towards Fiji’ under Viewlink. 

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10 Fijiink 

Kiwis open their hearts to flood victims 

Venkat Raman 


New Zealanders are yet 

again demonstrating their 

compassion and readiness 

to help people in distress, 

especially the victims of the recent 

Tropical Cyclones and resultant 

floods in Fiji. 

Two containers, both 20 feet long, 

left the shores of Auckland for Fiji 

on April 26, 2018, containing essential 

supplies donated by people 

from various parts of Auckland. 

Volunteers have been helping in 

the efforts by collecting food items, 

other ration supplies, items of children, 

books and stationery and so 

on. 

Two men are behind the latest 

efforts- Fiji’s Honorary Consul in 

Auckland Harish Lodhia and businessman 

Jagdish Punja. 

Four Containers to go 

Mr Lodhia said that the aim was 

to send at least four 20-feet containers 

carrying useful material for 

the cyclone-torn Fiji and affected 

people. 

“We are grateful a number of 

agencies and to the people of New 

Zealand for their timely help and 

s p a c e 

Harish Lodhia carrying a suitcase containing 

supplies as Jagdish Punja (standing inside a 

Container looks on) 

support. Our government is doing 

its best to rehabilitate people affected. 

We hope to send two 20-feet containers 

next week,” he said. 

Mr Lodhia said that the containers 

are stationed at 66A Stoddard 

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Road in Mt Roskill and will be open 

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Goods at low prices 

Mr Punja said that a wholesale 

warehouse has offered below its 

normal warehouse price to those 

purchasing goods for the ‘Fiji Flood 

Appeal.’ 

“My Company, J Punja NZ Limited 

is located at 31 Ha Crescent in Wiri, 

Auckland. Anyone can pay online 

giving their name, mentioning that 

the purchase is ‘Fiji Flood Relief.’ 

Thereafter, we will send the invoice 

and deliver free of cost to the container. 

Alternatively, you can purchase 

goods from anywhere and 

deliver the items to our Centre in 

Wiri,” he said. 

Mr Punja said that clothes should 

be packed in cartons and any food 

donated should be non-perishable 

and contain unexpired items. 

For further details, please contact 

Jagdish Punja on 022-6848200. 

Rabuka objects to ‘Fijian’ label for all 

Sourced Content (Edited) 

Social Democratic Liberal 

Party Leader Sitiveni 

Rabuka has said that he 

has reservations on using 

‘Fijian’ as a common name following 

the adoption of the 2013 

Constitution. 

Speaking to law students at 

the University of Fiji earlier this 

week, he said that personally he 

has three reservations on the 

common name. 

He said that the people of Fiji 

were never consulted about 

the name change and that it 

was imposed, just like the unilateral 

revocation of the 1997 

Constitution and removal and 

abolition of the Great Council 

of Chiefs. 

Right to consultation 

Mr Rabuka said that the people 

of Fiji have a right to be consulted 

and to be heard on this 

very important issue. 

He said that the 2013 

Constitution, for the first time 

in Fiji’s constitutional history, 

has allowed a Fiji citizen to hold 

citizenship of a foreign State 

Sitiveni Rabuka in Suva, Fiji 

(Picture from Fiji Sun, under a Special 

Arrangement) 

simultaneously. 

“This dual nationality is a good 

thing in the context of our globalised 

world but it creates the 

dubious situation about a person’s 

patriotic loyalty and attachment 

to Fiji when one is at the 

same time the national of another 

State,” he said. 

Mr Rabuka said that his third 

reservation was that it ignores 

the group rights and self-determination 

of indigenous iTaukei and 

Rotuman people. 

The above Report has been published 

by Indian Newslink under 

a Special Agreement with 

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation 

(FBC News). 

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Migrant population boosts labour 

supply in New Zealand 


An article published 

in the Reserve Bank 

Bulletin (April 16, 

2018) compares 

labour supply developments 

across the OECD and examines 

how New Zealand is placed. 

Indian Newslink attributes 

the following to Jamie Culling 

and Former Reserve Bank 

Economist Hayden Skilling, 

who have written the article. 

Labour is the largest input to 

the productive capacity of the 

economy. 

The amount of labour available 

to be employed – labour 

supply – is therefore important 

to understand when gauging 

inflationary pressure in the 

economy. 

Complex outcomes 

However, labour market 

outcomes are complex. 

There are considerable differences 

in outcomes across age 

cohorts, gender and individuals 

more generally. 

In aggregate, New Zealand’s 

labour force participation has 

grown since 2000 to a recent 

all-time high. In this paper, we 

delve into the details of labour 

supply to understand what has 

been driving New Zealand’s 

historically unusual outcomes. 

Furthermore, we put the 

New Zealand experience into 

context by comparing post-2000 

developments in labour supply 

across OECD economies. 

Graphs Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand. 

Growth in supply 

into New Zealand. The 

Labour supply has grown higher aggregate participation 

rapidly in New Zealand since relative to the OECD is largely 

2000. This growth reflects due to increased participation 

strong population growth and amongst older cohorts. 

increased aggregate labour The United States, a typical 

force participation. 

international comparator, is 

The latter has occurred an outlier in its labour force 

despite an ageing population, experience. The US has experienced 

a decline in labour force 

which would have been expected 

to reduce the aggregate participation due to population 

ageing and broad-based 

participation rate. 

The increase in labour force weakness in within-cohort 

participation has been driven participation rates. 

by increases in participation Average hours worked per 

among individuals aged 55 person has fallen in New 

years and above, and women Zealand and across OECD 

aged between 25 and 54. countries. However, the 

New Zealand’s labour force decline in New Zealand has 

growth rate has been more been less pronounced than the 

than twice the OECD average OECD average. New Zealand’s 

since 2000, due to higher increase in overall labour 

growth in the working-age supply relative to the OECD 

population growth and a greater 

increase in participation. that suggested by changes in 

has thus been even larger than 

Some conclusions 

the size of the working-age 

Higher population growth population and labour force 

relative to the OECD reflects participation. 

strong migration flows 

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12 Viewlink 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

ISSUE 391 | MAY 1, 2018 

Another forward 

step towards Fiji 

Global efforts essential to 

tackle money-launderers 

Transparency 

International New 

Zealand Chief Executive 

Suzanne Snively has 

said that an Auckland company 

is caught up in an international 

money laundering controversy 

after it was identified helping 

to manage a network of New 

Zealand-registered companies 

and trusts for its secret clients. 

Her article that appears in 

this issue under Homelink, say 

that New Zealand remains vulnerable 

to the flow of illicit offshore 

assets. 

Most countries have in 

place Anti-Money Laundering 

and Countering Financing of 

Terrorism legislation to combat 

illegal monetary transactions. 

There is little evidence that 

the statute is working, but we 

live in the hope that it would 

eventually and keep money 

where it should be- in the “official 

economy.” 

About ten years ago, the New 

Zealand government froze $64 

million worth of assets of a 

group of Australian tax evaders 

at the request of its counterpart 

in Canberra. 

Illegal money beyond 

estimate 

Putting a value on money 

One of the foremost 

events of significance 

that occurs at summits 

and conferences 

of world leaders is the opportunity 

that it creates for boosting 

bilateral relations and healing 

wounds caused by unfortunate 

developments. 

One such great opportunity 

for New Zealand and Fiji occurred 

in London on April 19, 

when the two respective Prime 

Ministers Jacinda Ardern and 

Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama met 

on the side-lines of the Heads of 

Commonwealth Governments 

Meeting. 

Ms Ardern pledged to take a 

new approach to regional cooperation, 

moving from simply being 

a donor toward becoming 

a more involved partner in the 

development of Fiji and other 

Pacific Island nations. 

Bonded destiny 

The ties that bind New 

Zealand and Australia and Fiji 

are clearly greater than the issues 

that sometimes divide 

them. 

New Zealanders and Fijians 

are genuinely fond of each other 

and nothing is more important 

to Fiji than continuing to 

welcome the hundreds of thousands 

of New Zealanders who 

visit its shores every year. There 

are also tens of thousands of 

Fijians living either side of the 

Tasman, adding the richness of 

their culture to the great multicultural 

melting pot that is modern 

Australia and New Zealand. 

Fiji is an important political 

and social entity and certainly a 

power in the Pacific. 

Countries, big and small, must 

understand its penchant for 

equality for its citizens and parity 

with the rest of the world as 

an inalienable right. 

Global nervousness 

There is a certain but implicit 

nervousness among the advanced 

countries of the so-called 

‘fully-developed nations’ over 

the developments unfolding in 

Fiji. 

While this little, beautiful 

country of beautiful people 

have shown resilience over natural 

disasters, the government 

has shown fortitude and courage 

against odds and more importantly, 

failure of its powerful 

neighbours understanding its 

peculiar predicaments. 

laundering is, by its very nature, 

a matter of ill-informed 

guesswork. The International 

Monetary Fund reckons that 

the amount of dirty money being 

cleaned through the world’s 

financial system is a whopping 

$US 2 trillion a year, equivalent 

to more than 7% of Gross 

World Product. 

Laundering has grown handin-hand 

with globalisation, and 

particularly with the lifting of 

capital controls and the development 

of international payment 

systems. 

These allow money to be 

shifted in seconds between 

banks in different parts of the 

world that may not even be 

aware of each other’s existence. 

The effective channel 

Private banking is the laundering 

channel that has received 

most attention. Clients 

in this sector tend to be wealthy 

people who want their affairs 

handled with discretion, not 

least because they need help 

in exploiting opportunities to 

minimise their tax bills. 

However, it is time to take 

more stringent action. 

Cooperation of all governments 

and financial institutions 

is imperative. 

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 

Your eyes and even language 

cause illusion of Colours 

Aina Casaponsa & Panos Athanasopoulos 

The human eye can physically 

perceive millions of 

colours. 

But we don’t all recognise 

these colours in the same 

way. 

Some people can’t see differences 

in colours – so called colour 

blindness – due to a defect or 

absence of the cells in the retina 

that are sensitive to high levels 

of light: the cones. 

But the distribution and density 

of these cells also varies 

across people with “normal vision” 

causing us all to experience 

the same colour in slightly different 

ways. 

Besides our individual biological 

make up, colour perception is 

less about seeing what is actually 

out there and more about how 

our brain interprets colours to 

create something meaningful. 

The perception of colour mainly 

occurs inside our heads and so 

is subjective – and prone to personal 

experience. 

Synaesthesia influence 

Take for instance people with 

synaesthesia, who are able to 

experience the perception of 

colour with letters and numbers. 

Synaesthesia is often described 

as a joining of the senses 

– where a person can see sounds 

or hear colours. But the colours 

they hear also differ from case 

to case. 

Another example is the classic 

Alderson’s checker-shadow illusion. 

Here, although two marked 

squares are exactly the same colour, 

our brains don’t perceive 

them this way. 

The Culture of Colour 

Since the day we were born, 

we learnt to categorise objects, 

colours, emotions, and pretty 

much everything meaningful using 

language. And although our 

eyes can perceive thousands of 

colours, the way we communicate 

about colour – and the way 

we use colour in our everyday 

lives – means we have to carve 

this huge variety up into identifiable, 

meaningful categories. 

Painters and fashion experts, 

for example, use colour terminology 

to refer to and discriminate 

hues and shades that to all 

intents and purposes may all be 

described with one term by a 

non- expert. 

Different languages and cultural 

groups also carve up the colour 

spectrum differently. 

Some languages like Dani, spoken 

in Papua New Guinea, and 

Bassa, spoken in Liberia and 

Sierra Leone, only have two 

terms, dark and light. 

Dark roughly translates as cool 

in those languages, and light as 

warm. So, colours like black, 

blue, and green are glossed as 

cool colours, while lighter colours 

like white, red, orange and 

yellow are glossed as warm 

colours. 

The Warlpiri people living in 

Australia’s Northern Territory 

don’t even have a term for the 

word ‘Colour.’ For these and oth- 

er such cultural groups, what we 

would call ‘Colour’ is described 

by a rich vocabulary referring to 

texture, physical sensation and 

functional purpose. 

Five Key Colours 

Remarkably, most of the 

world’s languages have 

five basic colour terms. 

Cultures as diverse 

as the Himba in 

the Namibian plains and the 

Berinmo in the lush rainforests 

of Papua New Guinea employ 

such five term systems. As well 

as dark, light, and red, these lan- 

guages typically have a term for 

yellow, and a term that denotes 

both blue and green. That is, 

these languages do not have separate 

terms for ‘green’ and ‘blue’ 

but use one term to describe 

both colours, a sort of ‘grue.’ 

Historically, Welsh had a 

‘grue’ term, namely glas, as did 

Japanese and Chinese. 

Nowadays, in all these languages, 

the original grue term 

has been restricted to blue, and a 

separate green term is used. This 

is either developed from within 

the language – as is the case 

for Japanese – or through lexical 

borrowing, as is the case for 

Welsh. 

Russian, Greek, Turkish and 

many other languages also have 

two separate terms for blue 

– one referring exclusively to 

darker shades, and one referring 

to lighter shades. 

Language and Colour 

The way we perceive colours 

can also change during our lifetime. 

Greek speakers who have 

two fundamental colour terms 

to describe light and dark blue 

– ‘ghalazio’ and ‘ble’ are more 

prone to see these two colours 

as more similar after living for 

long periods of time in the UK – 

where these two colours are described 

in English by the same 

fundamental colour term: blue. 

This is because after long term, 

everyday exposure to an Englishspeaking 

environment, the brain 

of native Greek speakers starts 

interpreting the colours ‘ghalazio’ 

and ‘ble’ as part of the same 

colour category. 

But this is not just something 

that happens with colour; in fact, 

different languages can influence 

our perceptions in all areas 

of life. 

In our laboratory at Lancaster 

University, we are investigating 

how the use of and exposure 

Even though squares A and B are exactly 

the same colour, our brain interprets them as 

different. By derivative work: Sakurambo, CC 

BY-ND (Through ‘The Conversation’) 

People can see colours differently according to the way their language categorises them (Image by Shutterstock 

through ‘The Conversation’) 

In Pinna’s Illusory Intertwining Effect, shown 

here in an illustration by Jochen Burghardt, 

colours give the illusion that circles are intertwining; 

they are actually concentric. (Image 

Courtesy: The Washington Post) 

to different languages changes 

the way we perceive everyday 

objects. 

Ultimately, this happens because 

learning a new language is 

like giving our brain the ability 

to interpret the world differently, 

including the way we see and 

process colours. 

Aina Casaponsa is Lecturer 

in Language, Cognition and 

Neuroscience and Panos 

Athanasopoulos is Professor 

of Linguistics and English 

Language at Lancaster 

University in the City of 

Lancaster in Lancashire, 

England. A Disclosure Statement 

said that Ms Casaponsa receives 

funding from British Academy 

and the Leverhulme Trust Small 

Research Grant, while Professor 

Athanasopoulos does not work 

for, consult, own shares in or receive 

funding from any company 

or organisation that would 

benefit from this article, and 

has disclosed no relevant affiliations 

beyond their academic 

appointment. The above article, 

which appeared under ‘The 

Conversation’ (UK) on April 

22, 2018, has been reproduced 

here under ‘Creative Commons 

Licence.’


Businesslink 

13 

s 

Roy Harish 

Properties For Sale 

Call 021 HEYROY (021 439 769) 

and 

Get a Return On Your Spend / Investment 

Licensed REAA 2008 

About Roy Harish - Your Local Area Specialist 

With over 15 Years experience in Buying and Selling 

properties, Roy is an experienced real estate professional who 

understands the level of stress one can go through and will do 

his best to make the process as smooth as possible. With his 

team backing of industry experts they can help in all aspects 

of the home buying and selling including finance, building, 

renovating and even moving! 

If you are looking to buy/sell property or simply for a friendly 

chat about the current market, give Roy a call today on 

021 HEYROY - It's that Simple! 

2 Mile Place, Henderson 

$965,000 Negotiable 

5 Bed 3 Bath 2 Car 

Request a Viewing 

Luxurious Family Living! 

It's NEW - This house was completed just in August 

of last year. 

This diamond - new and beautiful - offers 5 bedrooms 

and was designed with care and precision 

to capture and maximise natural sunlight in all 

rooms. Fully insulated, double glazed joinery and 

with air-conditioning, just sit back and relax whilst 

children and/or pets enjoy the easy care and fully 

fenced lawns. Whilst being only a short drive away 

27 Addison Drive, Glendene 

Auction at Level 1, Building 5, 60 Highbrook Drive, 

East Tamaki on Tuesday 22nd May at 12:00pm 

(Unless sold prior) 

4 Bed 1 Bath 

Request a viewing 

This is your next move! 

Calling all first home buyers, renovation enthusiast 

and developers - do not miss out on this beautiful 4 

bedroom property in sought after Papakura. 

This home has stood the test of time, a solid 60's 

weatherboard classic with beautiful wooden floors and 

a good size living area. 

Tucked away in a great location near Papakura Town 

23A McLeod Road, Henderson 

$619,000 Negotiable 

from the hustle and bustle of West City, it's in a nice 

quiet neighbourhood close to schools, Parrs Park, 

vineyards, cafes and the Oratia Farmers Market. Work 

or Play, with both Auckland City and Piha beach being 

a similar distance away. 

Easy open plan living for the whole family with a wide 

double door access from garage to the living & modern 

kitchen area which also makes this home an entertainer's 

delight and brings about a seamless inside/outside 

flow to enjoy the summer sizzle. 

You will also enjoy the fantastic views from the deck 

on the upper level. Even catch a glimpse of the city 

fireworks during festivities. This is a rare find, a diamond 

- and a great opportunity for you to secure your 

new home today! It's simple to talk to your local area 

expert to find out how to get a Return On Your Spend/ 

Investment. 

Auction at 34 Shortland Street, City on Friday 4th May at 10:00am (Unless sold prior) 

3 Bed 2 Bath 2 Car 

Request a Viewing 

Beautiful Family Home with Potential 2 Bedroom flat! 

This beautifully renovated and well-presented home offers ideal family living and is a great opportunity to buy in 

a sought-after area. 

This home offers 3 Bedrooms, a formal lounge, separate laundry and bath, dining area & a modern kitchen. You 

can also use the multipurpose conservatory as a gym, study or family room and it leads onto the large entertainer's 

deck to soak up the sun or for a summer sizzle. 

A double lock-up garage with plenty of room for kids and/or pets to enjoy the easy care and fully fenced lawns. 

Centrally located to amenities including Glen Eden, New Lynn & Henderson shopping centres. 

Expansion plans have been drawn up and submitted to council for a self contained 2 bedroom unit to be built 

downstairs. Nest or Invest, the potential awaits! 

Capitalise on this opportunity & Get a Return On Your Spend/Investment! 

12 Fernaig Street, Papakura 

12A Fernaig Street, Papakura 

For sale by Negotiation 

SECTION 

2 Bed 1Bath 1 Car 

Centre and Takanini Village. IHas easy access to all amenities 

including buses, trains and the popular Cosgrave School. 

Children will love being close to Massey Park Aquatic 

Centre. Getting the kids to Saturday morning sport at Bruce 

Pulman Park will be a breeze with it being just up the road. 

Alternatively, if you are looking for a development opportunity, 

this 390m2 section has a 414m2 section at the back. 

(property currently in the process of being subdivided). Plans 

are available for a fantastic new house. 

Call me on 021 HEY ROY ( 021 439 769) today to view, or 

visit one of the open homes to see for yourself what potential 

this property has to offer. Don't delay Call today! 

Is Building Your Dream Home Your Next Move? 

Be quick to seize this opportunity! This is the perfect site to build your dream 

home on, this large approx. 414sqm section with its own driveway, located in 

the popular and sought after Papakura. 

This easycare section is tucked away in a great location near Papakura Town 

Centre and Takanini Village. It has easy access to all amenities including 

buses, trains and the popular Cosgrave School. Children will love being close 

to Massey Park Aquatic Centre. Getting the kids to Saturday morning sport 

at Bruce Pulman Park will be a breeze with it being just up the road. 

Also for sale is the front property, 12 Fernaig Street (Lot 1) - a 4 bedroom 

house with it’s own separate driveway - own both or either one! 

Call today to view, or visit during the open home times for 12 Fernaig Street 

to see for yourself what potential this property has to offer. Call Now! 

Beat the Crowd to McLeod! 

Magic on McLeod for first time buyers, smaller families, retirees or investors 

looking to scoop a well-maintained single-level in tightly-held Henderson. 

At approx. 60sqm the floor plan balances compactness for quick & easy 

cleaning while delivering effortless living with 2 bedrooms, interactive kitchen, 

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an extra dimension of convenience while high pitch ceilings lift the sense of 

space with light-filled interiors from plenty of glazing. 

The almost fully fenced section (just a gate needed to fully secure the property), 

has grassy areas for the little kids to play and a corner veggie patch. There 

could be possibilities here with the land, of course with permissions and council 

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off-street-parking. 

Call me on 021 HEY ROY ( 021 439 769) today to view, or visit one of the open homes to 

see for yourself what potential these properties have to offer. Don’t delay, Call today!


14 Businesslink 

Ring Fencing Rental Loss can be propitious to many 

Saurav Wadhwa 

The Auckland residential 

market has been a hot 

topic for several years. 

It has been going in 

only one direction: Upwards. 

The Government has been trying 

to make changes in tax policies 

since 2010. 

Firstly, it abolished the ‘Loss 

Attributing Qualifying Company’ 

(LAQC) status and depreciation 

on building, and then introduced 

the Bright Line Test. 

Bright Line Test has been extended 

to five years from April 

2018 and Ring fencing of rental 

losses are being introduced from 

April 2019. 

Ring Fencing Rental Loss 

In New Zealand, you pay tax 

on your net income from all 

sources. 

It means net income is calculated 

by total of salary and wage, 

rental income or loss, business 

income or loss, dividend, interest 

and overseas income or loss. 

If you make loss in any activity, 

that loss is offset against income 

from other activities, and 

income tax is calculated on the 

net income. 

Going forward, the government 

will eliminate the loss produced 

by residential investment 

to offset against other types of 

income. 

Reason for implementation 

Why is Ring Fencing Rental 

Loss being introduced? 

In general, people buy residential 

investment property to make 

capital gain in the long term. 

However, if in the short-term 

it produces losses (expenses are 

more than income), the rental 

losses are offset against employment 

income. 

The net effect of this is tax 

refund. 

The Government believes that 

its tax policies favour buying residential 

rental investments. 

It also believes that people 

make capital gains from investing 

in residential investments 

and that capital gains are not 

taxed. 

The Government is trying to 

use tax policy as a tool to discourage 

people in investing in 

residential rental investments. 

New Rules and their 

application 

When do the new rules come 

in to effect? 

Currently, Internal Revenue 

Department (IRD) is seeking submission 

on its proposal by May 

11, 2018 and is hoping to enforce 

it from April 1, 2019. 

The rules could either apply in 

full, from the outset, or could be 

phased in two or three years. 

These rules apply only to residential 

rental investment and 

do not apply to (a) a person’s 

main home (b) a property that 

is subject to the mixed-use assets 

rules (for example, a bach 

that is sometimes used privately 

and sometimes rented out); or (c) 

land that is on revenue account 

because it is held in a land-related 

business. 

The Application Process 

This will apply on a portfolio 

basis. It means investors would 

be able to offset losses from one 

rental property against rental income 

from other properties – 

calculating their overall profit or 

loss across their portfolio. Ring 

fenced losses from one year can 

be offset against residential rental 

income for future years. 

‘Residential land’ is not limited 

to land in New Zealand; it would 

extend to overseas land. 

It was discussed to create interest 

allocation rules, as people 

can use debt funding for 

some type of assets and equity 

funding for residential rental 

investments. 

IRD also believes that specific 

interest allocation rules would 

create considerable complexity 

and compliance cost. 

Small taxpayers disadvantaged 

Small taxpayers and business- 

es who use their residential investments 

for business funding 

would suffer most. Thus, specific 

interest allocation rules are not 

being proposed. 

It applies to all entities, including 

Trust, Company, 

Look Through Company and 

individuals. 

A specific rule to deal with the 

interposing of entities will be 

created. 

People cannot get around by 

structuring differently. For example, 

you invest in a company, 

which then buys residential rental 

investment. Since you have invested 

in shares, under current 

rules, the cost of borrowing is 


CALLING FOR 

ENTRIES &NOMINATIONS 

Forms can be downloaded from 

www.inliba.com 

your expense, but this will not be 

allowed. 

A suggested approach to deal 

with interposed entities is to define 

‘Residential property land 

rich.’ It is proposed that when 

an entity owns over 50% investments 

into residential properties, 

then ring fencing of losses 

would be applicable. 

Saurav Wadhwa is the 

Principal Accountant at IBBZ 

Accounting Limited, Chartered 

Accountant and Tax Specialist 

based in Botany, Auckland. 

He can be contacted on (09) 

2728050; Mobile: 027-5555458; 

Email: saurav@ibbz.co.nz; 

Website: www.ibbz.co.nz


Visiting Minister outlines India’s massive development plans 

Venkat Raman 


Avisiting Indian Minister 

spoke about the 

achievements of the 

Indian government led 

by Narendra Modi and the exciting 

developments underway in 

strengthening the country’s infrastructure 

and other projects. 

At a private lunch hosted by 

former Member of Parliament 

and Founder-Member of New 

Zealand India Trade Alliance 

(NZITA) Mahesh Bindra at 

Indian Accent Restaurant in Mt 

Wellington yesterday (Tuesday, 

April 24, 2018), Mansukh 

Laxman Mandaviya said that 

apart from innovative programmes 

and policies, his government 

was implementing 

ideas to provide specialists products 

and services at affordable 

prices. 

Reducing burden 

“He spoke about the pharmaceutical 

industry and explained 

how his government spoke with 

manufacturers of stents (used 

during angioplasty procedures) 

and brought down the price to 

about Rs 7300 from a fraction of 

what was charged by international 

companies earlier. 

“Our Prime Minister is keen to 

ease the burden of the common 

man and make available goods 

and services at reasonable costs,” 

he said. 

Mr Bindra said there was 

Mansukh Laxman Mandaviya (third from right) with (from left) Rajbir Singh, Sanjeev Kohli, Sunil Kaushal, Mahesh Bindra and Giri Gupta in Auckland on April 24, 2018 

(Picture Supplied) 

also discussion on the overall 

developmental plans that 

the Union and State governments 

were implementing as 

a part of ‘Make in India,’ and 

other innovative projects and 

programmes. 

The luncheon was attended 

by India’s High Commissioner 

to New Zealand Sanjeev Kohli, 

Second Secretary and Head 

of Chancery Sandeep Sood, 

NZITA Chairman and Secretary 

General respectively Giri 

Gupta and Sunil Kaushal and 

Secretary to the Minister Rajbir 

Singh. 

Community Reception 

Later in the evening, Mr 

Mandaviya addressed a reception 

organised in his honour 

by the New Zealand 

Indian Central Association 

(NZICA) and Auckland Indian 

Association (AIA) at Mahatma 

Gandhi Centre in Eden Terrace, 

Auckland Central. 

He briefed the members of 

the Indian community on the 

infrastructure development 

with particular reference to 

roads and highways in India 

as well as improvements to 

shipping. 

Mr Mandaviya is currently 

on an official visit to Tonga 

and Fiji to attend meetings 

of the Energy and Transport 

Ministers, following which he 

will be Auckland on his way 

back home. 

About the Minister 

Born and raised in a middle-class 

farmer family in 

Hanol, a small village in 

Palitana Taluk of Bhavanagar 

District in Gujarat, Mr 

Mandaviya obtained a postgraduate 

degree in Political 

Science. Earlier, his love for animals 

encouraged him to pursue 

a course in Veterinary Science. 

He has the distinction of 

being the youngest MLA in 

Gujarat in 2002 and in 2012, 

was elected to Rajya Sabha 

(Upper House of Parliament). 

He was appointed to his current 

ministerial role on July 5, 

2016. 

Businesslink 

Trade Intelligence 

Dashboard 

released 

15 


The Ministry of Business, 

Innovation and Employment 

(MBIE) has released its New 

Zealand Trade Intelligence 

Dashboard, illustrating New Zealand’s 

trade, investment and visitor flows 

with all its trading partners. 

Sector Trends Manager Mark 

Gordon said that the New Zealand 

Trade Intelligence Dashboard uses 

Stats NZ data and can be customised 

to suit the user’s needs to get optimum 

results. 

“This new tool is interactive and 

easy to use,” he said. 

Useful Tool 

People with an interest in New 

Zealand trade and investments 

should find the tool useful, including 

businesses considering exporting and 

export businesses seeking to explore 

new markets. 

“The tool provides up-to-date annual 

information on trade by commodities, 

services and trading partners. 

It presents a full picture of New 

Zealand’s trading profile through intuitive 

and interactive graphs and tables,” 

Mr Gordon said. 

Powerful functionality 

The tool also provides powerful 

functionality enabling users to generate 

their own reports for different 

commodities, and markets or groups 

of markets that interest them. 

All figures, tables and data are 

downloadable. 

The New Zealand Trade 

Intelligence Dashboard works on 

both PCs and mobile devices and was 

designed and developed within MBIE. 

New Store Opportunities 

This is your opportunity to become part of a successful international brand, partnering with the expertise of 

Restaurant Brands here in New Zealand and the Yum brand worldwide. 

With 94 stores NZ wide including 60 franchised stores and sales exceeding $90m, Pizza Hut is currently enjoying 

strong growth and franchisee success. 

We are committed to expanding the brand and store numbers in NZ and revitalizing the brand. We invite prospective 

franchisees to join to success story. 

We are offering new store opportunities on a turnkey basis, meaning that we will build, design and fully set up new 

stores ready for you to open and start trading. We offer comprehensive training and assistance to get your business 

successfully underway, and then ongoing operational support throughout the franchise term. 

We are looking for franchisees with passion, commitment and business skills. Comprehensive training and support 

will be provided. 

Store prices vary from $500,000 to $600,000 depending on the location and size of the outlet. Bank finance is 

generally available to 50%. 

Current Opportunities exist in Morrisville, Napier, Kaipoi, Mosgiel, Oamaru as well as limited opportunities in 

Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. 

Contact Alan Brooks 

Franchise Manager, Restaurant Brands Limited | 666 Great South Road, Penrose, Building 7, Level 3 

PH 09-525-8785 | Mob 021-2769769 | Email: alan.brooks@rbd.co.nz


16 Businesslink 

Shrinking revenues force Stuff to go tabloid 

Tim Murphy 

Image Courtesy: Stuff.co.nz (through Newsroom) 

On April 27, 2018, newspaper 

readers around 

the country received the 

last full-size editions of 

their daily newspapers. This is 

the latest change in an industry 

struggling to keep the printing 

presses rolling. 

Six newspapers get ‘shorter’ 

Stop the Press. And the Dominion 

Post, Waikato Times and six 

other daily newspapers owned by 

Stuff NZ Ltd, the former Fairfax 

proprietor of half our print news 

media. 

Or stop, at least, the big 

‘broadsheet’ versions of those 

newspapers so familiar to much 

of the country. 

Today was the final morning 

of the large-size and fold-over 

format the older mastheads have 

graced for more than a century. 

As well as those main centre 

titles, the Taranaki Daily News, 

Manawatu Standard, Marlborough 

Express, Nelson Mail, Timaru 

Herald and Southland Times 

are about to change forever. 

From Monday, the weekday papers 

shrink to become a tabloid, 

or ‘compact’, shape as Stuff looks 

to modernise its print portfolio 

and save money in a market 

where sales of print editions 

continue to plummet. 

The Saturday and Sunday editions 

will remain full size, their 

bulk and big advertising revenues 

saving them from tabloidisation 

for now. 

Late to the party 

Stuff is late to the party. The 

New Zealand Herald did the same 

thing six years ago, itself at the 

tail end of an international fad. 

But it is in good company, The 

Times in the UK led the change 

and just this year The Guardian 

finally downsized to tabloid after 

trying a mid-sized Berliner format. 

The two major metropolitan 

dailies owned by Stuff’s owner 

Fairfax Australia also turned 

tabloid several years ago. 

Publicity about the change 

here is focused on a better reader 

experience and a signal Stuff is 

investing in and maximising its 

newspaper assets. 

If the Herald’s experience is 

anything to go by, the process of 

changing the shape of the paper 

re-focused newsrooms and the 

commercial side of the publishing 

business and produced an 

enriched newspaper – for a time. 

Advertiser response 

However as commercial realities 

started to bite, with advertisers 

rejecting the presumption that 

their smaller ads in the tabloid 

newspaper should double in 

number or frequency to equate 

to how much they spent on big 

broadsheet ads, and the costs 

of new sections and segments 

staying stubbornly high, the new 

paper shrank again. In depth and 

quality. 

Even in 2012, very few readers 

used the words Herald and 

tabloid in the same breath. 

Tabloid was never used publicly 

to describe the change, with 

‘compact’ favoured then, and by 

Stuff now, to defang the feared 

brand damage. 

But the Herald’s physical 

change made that an obvious 

change and as both the 

daily paper and its mothership, 

nzherald.co.nz turned more racy, 

the words are, fairly or unfairly, 

routinely combined now. 

Shrinking Circulation 

Having said that, the Herald has 

lost sales over the past six years 

at a rate far slower than the big 

Stuff NZ papers, which routinely 

shed circulation in the double-digit 

percentages as their readers use 

the website or go elsewhere. Its 

owner, NZME, has worked hard 

to protect the scores of millions 

in revenue from people who 

subscribe to the paper daily. 

The tabloid shape and reputation 

could be an issue for papers 

like The Press and some of the 

regionals, which have maintained 

a more sedate mix of local news 

– and a daily selection – on their 

front pages. With the tabloid, 

you only really get one shot – two 

stories maximum – once the 

needed promotional boxes for 

content inside the paper plus an 

advertisement and (much smaller) 

masthead appear. It is almost 

axiomatic that the selected story 

needs to shout to get attention. 

Aggressively digital 

Stuff NZ has taken an aggressively 

digital stance, making the 

stuff.co.nz website its centrepiece 

and actively bailing out of old 

media assets. It is closing 10 

community newspapers of 28 it 

put on the block earlier this year 

and has axed its team of sports 

reporters covering the regions 

served by some of the papers now 

changing shape. 

On the face of it, transforming 

its papers as they are in circulation 

freefall and as Stuff introduces 

new types of business such as 

health insurance, video streaming 

and high-speed broadband would 

seem like closing a stable door. 

The company views its future 

as providing a range of digital 

services – news being one of 

them – to its substantial audience 

gained from stuff.co.nz. 

News has won it nearly two 

million unique viewers a month 

and now Stuff believes it must 

cash in by selling those people 

other products and services that 

can make up for print’s long, slow 

demise. 

Managing decline 

The papers still produce 

millions in revenue, and profit, 

overall so the change on Monday 

is one more way of managing decline 

and protecting good income 

for as long as possible. 

Changing to the compact shape 

first emerged for Fairfax papers 

after reader research two years 

ago, reinforced by a deeper 

survey last year which found the 

smaller papers were preferable 

– and readers wanted more local 

news than Stuff NZ had provided. 

Will these tabloids last? There 

is a view from within Stuff NZ 

that the company will within 

three years be little more than big 

newsrooms in Auckland, Wellington 

and Christchurch serving that 

digital audience – and apart from 

The Press and Dominion Post all 

other print will have been sold or 

closed. A business about a third of 

the size of that which is currently 

wedded to heritage newspapers 

and print plants. 

When its Australian owner’s 

chief executive told the Commerce 

Commission the business 

would turn to its ‘end game’ if 

it failed to win approval for its 

planned merger with NZME - 

which, two years on, goes to the 

Court of Appeal in June – that is 

probably close to what he had in 

mind. 

The small and imperfectly 

formed newspapers that emerge 

on Monday may be a weigh 

station rather than the final 

destination for lovers of print. 

Tim Murphy is the Co-Founder 

of Newsroom and is the former 

Editor-in-Chief of the New Zealand 

Herald. Newsroom is an independent, 

New Zealand-based 

news and current affairs site, 

powered by the generosity of 

people who support its mission 

to produce fearless, independent 

and provocative journalism. 

Indian Newslink has published 

the above Report and Picture 

under a Special Agreement with 

www.newsroom.co.nz 

Disciplined approach eases every property deal 

Lucy Corry 

Buying a property is rarely 

straightforward, which 

is no surprise given that 

it is the biggest financial 

commitment most people ever 

make. 

When you combine big sums 

of money and a considerable level 

of emotional investment, even 

the simplest transaction can be 

stressful. 

We hear a lot about the need 

for buyers to do their homework, 

but there are plenty of reasons 

for sellers to be careful too. 

Getting legal advice 

If you are selling a property 

with a real estate agent, you 

must sign an agency agreement 

that sets out all the terms and 

conditions of your contract with 

them, including how much commission 

they will earn from the 

sale and how the property will 

be marketed. 

That is why it is so important 

to get legal advice before you 

sign an agency agreement. 

If it is a standard agreement, 

you usually retain the right to 

sell the property privately but it’s 

a good idea to check this. 

If you have signed an agreement 

with an agency but decide 

for whatever reason to opt for a 

DIY private sale, you should double 

and triple-check whether the 

agency agreement requires you 

to pay commission to the real estate 

agent or agency. 

REA Standards 

Most agencies use the Real 

Estate Authority (REA) standard 

clauses in agency agreements, 

which set out certain terms and 

conditions for the contract and 

the payment of commission. 

According to the standard 

clauses, commission is payable 

if the property is sold within 

the active term of the agreement 

(normally 90 days) or if it is sold 

privately within six months after 

the end of the term to a buyer 

that the agent had earlier introduced 

to the property. 

In other words, if the buyer 

visits an open home run by the 

real estate agent, and then enters 

into a private sale with the 

seller within six months after the 

end of the agreement, the seller 

is still obliged to pay commission 

to the agent. 

This can vary depending on 

whether it is a sole or general 

agreement – talk to your lawyer 

before you sign up. 

Commission Payments 

Both sole agency agreements 

and general agency agreements 

provide for commission payments 

after the agreed period 

ends. 

If a seller enters into a sale 

within six months of the agency 

agreement ending with a buyer 

who was introduced by the 

real estate agent (or the agent facilitated 

the sale), then the seller 

must pay the agent commission 

just as they would have done 

when the agreement was still 

current. So, if the agent brings 

a potential buyer to a property 

in March, the agency agreement 

expires in April, and the seller 

and purchaser enter into a private 

sale agreement in May, the 

seller will have to pay the agent 

commission. 

Unconditional Sale 

The sale must become unconditional 

(which is when all the 

conditions of the sale and purchase 

agreement have been 

met), but it does not matter 

whether it goes unconditional 

during or after the agency period, 

or during or after the six 

months following expiry, so long 

as the sale and purchase agreement 

is entered into within those 

timeframes. 

So, before you sign an agency 

agreement, ask the agency if 

it uses standard REA clauses. If it 

does not you may be exposed to 

more complicated commission 

risks and you should seek legal 

advice. 

Generally, any issues arising 

from the agency agreement/arrangements 

between the seller 

and the real estate agent will not 

have a direct effect on the separate 

sale and purchase agreement 

between the seller and the 

buyer. 

However, the wrangling involved 

may create headaches or 

delays that you as a buyer would 

not want to be troubled. 

If you do decide that you are 

really keen on a property in this 

situation, seek legal advice before 

getting involved (and especially 

before signing anything). 

Remember too that the REA 

can help you with questions and 

complaints about sales involving 

licensed real estate agents, but 

it’s unable to step in if you have 

a problem with a private and unlicensed 

seller. 

For independent advice on 

buying or selling property, check 

out settled.govt.nz 

Lucy Corry is Media 

Communications Manager 

at the Real Estate Agents 

Authority based in Wellington. 

For independent advice, please 

visit www.settled.govt.nz.


Ramadan Special 

17 

RamadanMubarak 

Wishing youand your 

familyablessed Ramadan. 

Westpacare proudtohelp NewZealand’s Muslim 

communities, customers and people grow. 

WestpacNew Zealand Limited.


18 Ramadan Special 

Ramadan reinforces basic duties of Muslims 

Hazim Arafeh 

The Holy month of Ramadan 

is observed by Muslims 

world over on the Ninth 

month of the Muslim Lunar 

Calendar, which is considered by 

Muslims as one of the most sacred 

months of the year. 

Fasting during the month of 

Ramadan, known as “Sawm,” is 

one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the 

basic religious duties for Muslims. 

The other Four Pillars are 

Shahadah (declaring the oneness 

of Allah and that Prophet 

Muhammad is His Messenger), 

Salat (ritual prayer performed 

five times daily), Zakat (obligatory 

charity for the poor and the needy 

at 2.5%), and the Hajj (performing 

the pilgrimage to Makkah at 

least once in the lifetime if one is 

healthy and financially able). 

Strengthening Faiths 

Ramadan is the time when 

Muslims, even as we continue with 

our daily routines strive to become 

even better by strengthening our 

faiths, carrying out more deeds of 

social responsibility and expressing 

gratitude to Allah Almighty 

for every blessing that we have 

received. 

During Ramadan, Muslims fast 

from sunrise to sunset daily, not 

having anything to eat, drink, 

smoke or indulging in intimate 

relations. 

A special feast is prepared for 

the breaking of the fast, where 

everyone present is invited to partake 

of the dinner after the all-day 

fast. 

Commitment to Allah 

Fasting during the month of 

Ramadan makes a Muslim commit 

himself more to Allah and render 

service to the community in terms 

of helping the poor and the indigent, 

bringing relief to the needy 

and orphans and providing safety 

for weak members of the society. 

The Holy Quran states that those 

Good lessons from the Muslim Community 

Venkat Raman 


According to the Muslim 

faith, it was during 

Ramadan, the Ninth month 

of the Muslim calendar 

that the Holy Quran, the Sacred 

Book, “was sent down from heaven, 

guidance unto men, a declaration 

of direction and a means of 

Salvation.” 

This is also the time of the year 

when Muslims concentrate on their 

faith and spend less time on the 

concerns of their everyday lives. 

In the Arab world, where this 

writer lived and worked for more 

than two decades, the governments, 

philanthropists, welfare organisations 

and community groups offer 

alms. 

Muslims offering Taraweeh in the United States. 

Picture Courtesy: Mohd Samsul Mohd Said/Getty Images 

The Red Crescent Society (called The International 

Red Cross is so called in these areas) offers rice, 

wheat, vegetables and fruits and other essentials to 

the needy. 

Days to Fast 

“Fasting is one way of realising the true state of 

hunger and the Holy Month is devoted understanding 

the sufferings of some sections of the society. 

who do more good deeds during 

the blessed month of Ramadhan 

will receive more rewards than 

usual. 

Special (Taraweeh) prayers are 

conducted in the evenings at all 

Masjids which every Muslims look 

forward to attend with keenness. 

Special Eid Al Fitr facilities 

The month of Ramadan ends 

with special festivities on the Eid 

Al Fitr (Day of Feasting) celebration 

when families and friends truly 

rejoice for having completed the 

commandment of Allah by successful 

abstinence and by zikr (remembrance 

of Allah) at all times. 

Eid Al Fitr is celebrated together 

with family and friends and the 

wider Muslim community, which 

Abstinence from pleasures 

of life (all entertainment 

and night club activities 

are suspended during the 

Month, even after dusk) including 

sex with spouses 

helps Muslims to concentrate 

on the teachings of 

Islam,” areligious leader 

said. 

At the end of the day the 

fast is broken with prayer 

and a meal called the Iftar. 

Iftar for families and 

friends 

In the evening following 

the Iftar, it is customary for 

Muslims to go out visiting 

family and friends. The fast 

is resumed the next morning. 

It is also customary for 

commercial and industrial 

undertakings in the Arab 

world to host special dinners 

after Iftar for staff and clients, 

at least once during the Holy 

Month. 

Pregnant women, children, 

those in poor health and suffering 

from certain types of 

ailments including diabetes 

are exempt from fasting, in 

addition to Muslims travelling 

overseas. But many travellers 

do observe the fasting hours, 

irrespective of their schedules. 

Teachings of the Holy Quran 

According to the Holy 

Quran: “One may eat and 

drink at any time during the 

night ‘until you can plainly 

distinguish a white thread 

from a black thread by the 

daylight: then keep the fast until 

night.” 

The Muslim Faith also states 

that the good accruing from 

not only helps to reinforce moral 

and family values and foster a 

sense of identity and belonging to 

one’s particular community, but 

also helps the wider Muslim community 

to appreciate them. 

This is an occasion for thanksgiving 

and forgiveness and signifies 

openness of the mind. 

On behalf of Federation of 

Islamic Council of New Zealand 

(FIANZ) Council, Executive members 

and staff, I wish all of you 

Ramadan Kareem! 

Jazak Allahu Khairan. 

Wassalaam 

Hazim Arafeh is President of the 

Federation of Islamic Associations 

of New Zealand based in 

Wellington (Picture Supplied) 

fasting can be nullified by the 

following: telling a lie, slander, 

denouncing someone in his or 

her absence, a false oath and 

greed or covetousness. While 

these are considered offensive 

at all times, the offense is believed 

to be multifold during 

Ramadan. 

Muslims also spend several 

hours praying and studying 

the Holy Quran. 

Many Mosques conduct special 

classes for both Muslims 

and non-Muslims keen on 

learning the teachings of the 

Holy Book. In addition to 

the five daily prayers, aspecial 

prayer is recited during 

Ramadan. Called, ‘Taraweeh,’ 

this night prayer is usually 

longer. 

Steadfast Muslims spend 

the entire night in prayer in 

Mosques.


A small community seeks fraternal bond 

Venkat Raman 


New Zealand has a 

vibrant Muslim community 

with its members 

participating in almost 

all community, social and welfare 

activities. 

It is a matter of gratification 

that Muslims live in peace and 

harmony, working alongside 

other communities, fostering 

the common cause of universal 

fraternity and goodwill. 

Notwithstanding some untoward 

incidents in recent months 

in which Muslims were targets 

of verbal or physical abuse 

following the September 11, 2001 

incidents in the US. 

There are no serious concerns 

of communal tension, the likes of 

which are found in India or even 

in the UK. 

Muslims in New Zealand form 

an integral part of the country’s 

social fabric and have been effective 

contributors to the overall 

development for more than 130 

years, transcending all barriers. 

The Early Settlers 

The first Muslims arrived 

here in 1868. They were of 

Chinese nationality, involved in 

the mining industry. When the 

industry declined, they returned 

without leaving any Muslim heritage 

behind. The next group of 

Muslims arrived in 1908 to take 

up permanent residence in Auckland. 

It was however much later 

(1950) that cognizable number 

Muslims praying at Mustafa Al Majid in South Auckland 

of Muslims began establishing a 

firm foothold in this country. 

Early Muslim settlers, though 

small in number, soon began 

to organise themselves and 

gather in their private homes to 

observe salaat, Quran classes and 

religious celebrations. As their 

number grew, the need for a 

larger and fixed place of worship 

and education became apparent. 

Such a need led to purchase of 

ordinary houses which were 

converted into Islamic Centers in 

all major cities of New Zealand. 

First Association 

The first regional Muslim association 

was formed in Auckland 

in 1950 and was called the New 

Zealand Muslim Association 

(NZMA). 

It was soon followed by the 

Wellington Muslim Association 

(1962) which later became the 

International Muslim Association 

of New Zealand (IMAN). 

The choice of this name was 

a reflection of the situation in 

Wellington where the majority 

of Muslims were students on 

the ‘Colombo Plan,’ from many 

different countries. 

By the mid-1950s, every region 

had set up a Muslim Association, 

registered with the Government 

as Incorporated Societies. 

Educational Courses 

The functions and services 

provided by these Associations 

were confined to the immediate 

needs of their communities. In 

most cases, this meant establishing 

the Holy Quran reading and 

Islamic lessons for children, as 

well as study groups for men and 

women. 

Despite the scarcity of 

educational resource material 

and adequately trained teachers, 

these classes filled the need for 

some form of Islamic education 

in what was a completely secular 

environment. By late 1970s, it was 

becoming increasingly apparent 

that a national body was required 

to coordinate the activities of the 

regional Associations, increase 

their efficiency and generally 

represent the interests of Muslims 

as a whole, at national and 

international levels. 

The Federation of Islamic Associations 

of New Zealand (FIANZ) 

was formed in September 1979, in 

realisation of a growing need. 

According to the 2013 Census, 

there were 46,149 Muslims, up 

28% from 36,072 in 2006. 

Today, the New Zealand Muslim 

community comprises about 40 

different nationalities. 

The results of the 2018 Census 

have not yet been released but 

the total Muslim population is 

likely to have crossed 45,000. 

Maori and Islander Muslims 

Islam is estimated to be the 

fastest growing religion among 

the Maori with census figures 

showing the number of Muslims 

of Maori ethnicity increasing 

from 99 to 708 in the 10 years to 

2001 and to 1083 by 2013 census 

data. 

The Aotearoa Maori Muslim 

Association is the most influential 

Maori Muslim Movement. 

While the overall Pacific 

Islander community grew 15% 

according to census data from 

2001 to 2006, Muslim Pacific 

Islanders grew 87.43%. 

According to 2013 census data, 

there were 1536 Muslims among 


19 

the Pacific Islander community 

(less than 3.5% of New Zealand's 

Muslim population). 

The most famous Muslim from 

this community is Rugby player 

and heavyweight boxer Sonny Bill 

Williams. 

Islamic Centres 

Most Islamic Centres are 

affiliated to the Wellington based 

Federation of Islamic Associations 

of New Zealand (FIANZ). 

There are 43 Islamic Centres 

affiliated to FIANZ throughout 

New Zealand including Auckland 

(26), Waikato (6), Bay of Plenty 

(2), Canterbury (2), Hawke’s Bay 

(1), Manawatu and Wanganui (4) 

Marlborough (1), Northland (1), 

Otago (2), Southland (1), Taranaki 

(2) and Wellington (5). 

It is not unusual for universities 

and other educational institutions 

to send their students to the 

Islamic Centers and mosques 

to gain better knowledge and 

appreciation of Islam and the 

rituals of Muslims. Television 

and radio programmes are 

regularly compiled and scholars 

of international repute are 

invited for public lectures. Islamic 

exhibitions are also organised 

from time to time. 

FIANZ publishes regular updates 

on its website (fianz.com). 

Despite being a small community, 

far removed in terms 

of distance from the rest of the 

Muslim world, Muslims in New 

Zealand have developed a strong 

and committed community, dedicated 

to following the ‘straight 

path’ toward success. 

Wishing you a shower of 

Blessings 

durring the holy month of Ramadan 

We provide tailor-madesolutionstoindividual migrantsand their families 

seeking to study, work,invest,dobusiness and live in NewZealand permanently 

Level1-166 Harris Road, 

East Tamaki, Auckland 

09 272 4424 

021 144 6641 

admin@ianzl.co.nz 

Like us on “facebook” www.facebook.com/immigrationadvice 

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20 Ramadan Special 

Women of Islam deliberate Islam, Culture and other issues 

Anjum Rahman 

The Islamic Women’s Council 

of New Zealand (IWCNZ) 

held its annual conference 

in March with the theme 

“Fragrance of Faith” attended by 

more than 200 delegates from 

all parts of the country as well as 

guests from overseas. 

Several speakers addressed the 

Conference held in Wellington in 

March 16 and 17, 2018, attended 

by government officials, politicians 

and community leaders. 

High-Ranking Officials 

At the Open Session held at 

the start of the Conference with 

invited guests including a local 

City Councillor, President of 

International Muslim Association 

of New Zealand, the Head of Secret 

Intelligence Service and senior public 

servants. 

There were kind words of welcome 

by IWCNZ National Coordinator 

Dr Maysoon Salamah, 

and Hazim Arafeh, President of 

New Zealand’s peak Islamic body, 

FIANZ. 

Selflessness and Care 

Aliya Danzeisen spoke about selflessness, 

using the example of a tree 

which gives away its leaves, branches 

and trunk over the course of its 

life. 

She used this example to talk 

about giving as much as we are 

able, while those taking should be 

mindful of not depleting the resources 

of the giver. 

Farah Shah gave a lively talk entitled 

‘Modesty does not mean ugly, 

followed by Dr Salamah reminding 

Anjum Rahman (left) with others at the Conference 

(Picture Courtesy: Australasian Muslim Times) 

‘delegates of the efforts of ‘Youth in 

the Prophetic Light.’ 

Malaysian Visitors 

We were lucky to have visitors 

from Malaysia attend the 

Conference. 

The women shared their knowledge 

of Asmaa-ul Husna (the names 

of Allah). 

In the early morning, participants 

performed martial arts like Bojutsu 

and Taekwondo. 

Islam and Culture 

The second day began with a 

Workshop on the differences between 

Islam and culture, and how 

young people must negotiate the 

spaces between the two. 

This was followed by a panel discussion 

on ‘Fragrant Dreams and 

Visions.’ 

I talked about dealing with despair 

and hopelessness, using references 

from the Holy Quran and 

Sunnah and giving practical solutions 

to those in difficult situations. 

Maori Muslims 

Noeleen van de Lisdonk talked 

about the experiences of Maori 

Muslims, and the struggles they face 

within the Muslim community to 

ONE CALL DOES IT ALL! 

be recognised and have their needs 

addressed. 

Another sister told of an education 

project developed by her extended 

family in Northern Pakistan, 

based on her grandfather’s vision. 

The final speaker spoke on professionalism, 

and the need for 

Muslim women to aspire to excellence 

in both religious and worldly 

affairs. 

Adventure and Togetherness 

The afternoon was taken up by 

various excursions such as high tea, 

kayaking, rock-climbing and a walk 

in the city. These were followed by a 

health session with Dr Hanifa Koya, 

a medical specialist, and workshops 

by young Muslim women. 

The highlight of the Sunday was 

the IWCNZ AGM, which included a 

review of the year’s activities and finances, 

and appointment of a new 

Administrative Council. 

This was an opportunity to recognise 

the contributions of Danzeisen, 

who was stepping down. 

We were also addressed by Dr 

Eva Nisa on Muslim women in the 

digital age, looking at recent trends 

and areas of concern. 

Lawyer Deborah Manning spoke 

about security issues related to the 

Secret Intelligence Service and NZ 

Customs. 

About IWCNZ 

IWCNZ was formed in 1990 to 

bring Muslim women together, representing 

their concerns at a national 

level, and supporting them to 

organise locally. 

Annual conferences have been 

organised since 1990, rotating between 

five cities in New Zealand. 

Greetings from Us 

The Prophet’s Mosque in Madina 

The Holy Month of 

Ramadan (expected to 

begin on May 14, 2018), 

is one of the most important 

and interesting periods 

in the Islamic Calendar. In 

many parts of the Islamic world, 

Muslims turn day into night 

and night into day during this 

period. 

Anjum Rahman is a Chartered 

Accountant by profession. She 

speaks and writes on issues relating 

to Islam and champions 

the cause of work. She lives 

in Hamilton. The above article, 

which appeared in Australasian 

Muslim Times issue dated April 

20, 2018 and has been edited and 

reproduced here with the permission 

of the Editor of the publication. 

Email: info@amust.com.au; 

Website: www.amust.com.au 

This is a time to realise the 

pinch of hunger and thirst, suffering 

and poverty and the 

pleasure of sharing and giving. 

Ramadan is also the Month 

during which Muslims embrace 

people of all faiths and pledge to 

work with them for a world that 

is assured of peace, harmony, 

progress and prosperity. 

We are confident that New 

Zealander Muslims will continue 

to preach and practice tolerance, 

respect other religions 

and most important of all, have 

a true sense of belonging to the 

country and its people. 

We hope the contents of this 

Ramadan Special would be of 

interest to our readers. It was a 

pleasure to work on this Report. 

We extend our sincere greetings 

to our advertisers, readers 

and well-wishers in New 

Zealand and rest of the world 

on the occasion of the end of the 

Holy Month of Ramadan. 

The Indian Newslink team. 

A sacred duty before the 

end of the Holy Month 

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Sadaqat Al Fitr is an 

obligation for every 

Muslim, male or female, 

who owns 

613.35 grams of silver or 

its equivalent, either in 

the form of money, ornaments, 

stock-in-trade, or in 

the form of some goods or 

commodities beyond one’s 

normal needs. 

Every person who owns 

such an amount must pay 

‘Sadaqat-ul-Fitr,’ not only 

on behalf of himself but 

also on behalf of his minor 

children. 

The prescribed amount 

of ‘Sadaqat Al Fitr is 1.75 

Kgs of wheat or its value in 

money. 

This amount is for one 

person only. If a person 

has minor children, the 

same amount should be 

paid on behalf of each one 

of them separately. 

Points to Remember 

The following points 

must be remembered concerning 

the payment of 

Sadaqat-ul-Fitr. 

Sadaqat Al Fitr is obligated 

on each adult male or 

female separately and the 

relevant adult himself is 

responsible to pay it. 

The husband is not required 

to pay Sadaqat Al 

Fitr on behalf of his wife 

nor is the wife supposed 

to pay it on behalf of her 

husband. Similarly, a father 

is not bound to pay 

‘Sadaqat-ul-fitr’ on behalf 

of his adult children or 

vice-versa. 

However, if the head of 

the family, by his own free 

will, wishes to pay Sadaqat 

Al Fitr for each one of the 

members of his family, he 

should seek their authorisation 

for that purpose. 

In this case, the Sadaqat 

Al Fitr paid by him will be 

valid on their behalf. 

If he did not pay the 

Sadaqat Al Fitr on behalf 

of any of the members of 

his family, he will not be 

responsible for it. Rather, 

it is the duty of every adult 

member of the family to 

discharge his own obligation 

or to request the head 

of the family to pay it on 

their behalf. 

Time before Eid Prayer 

It is a ‘Sunnah’ that the 

Sadaqat Al Fitr is paid before 

performing the ‘Eid’ 

prayer. 

It can also be paid before 

the Eid Day, but it is not advisable 

to delay until the 

performance of Eid prayer. 

However, if a person has 

failed to pay on its proper 

time, he should pay it as 

soon as possible, whereupon 

the obligation will stand 

discharged. 

The Sadaqat Al Fitr is not 

necessary on behalf of a 

child born after the break 

of dawn on the Eid day 

nor is it necessary to pay 

on behalf of a person who 

dies before the dawn of the 

Eid day. 

Sadaqat Al Fitr should 

be paid only to a person 

who is entitled to receive 

‘Zakah



World leaders and thinkers extol the concept of Islam 

Venkat Raman 


Muslims today are in 

general more knowledgeable 

about their 

faith, more attuned to 

its demands, and more assertive 

about their identity. 

Like every great religion, Islam 

is, and has been for all but the 

first of its 1400 years, avaried and 

fractious faith. Muslims do not 

differ on essentials such as the 

oneness of God, the literalness of 

his word as voiced by Mohammed, 

or the duty to perform prayer, 

charity, fasting, pilgrimage and 

jihad, which means something like 

‘struggle.’ 

There is not much debate over 

the first four of these duties, 

though quite a few Muslims choose 

to ignore them. However, the last, 

which embraces everything from 

resisting temptation to attacking 

Islam’s perceived enemies, is a 

much more contentious term. 

Nearly all Muslims, almost all 

the time, lean to the softer meaning. 

They think of jihad as striving 

to perfect oneself, or to give hope 

to others by good example. 

In short, they get on with their 

lives much like anyone else. 

The greatness of Islam as a 

religion and the universality of its 

teachings have been extolled by 

kings, thinkers, writers. Here are 

a few. 

The Holy Quran is the most scared document in Islam 

Napoleon Bonaparte 

Moses has revealed the 

existence of God to His nation. 

Jesus Christ to the Roman world, 

Mohammed to the Old Continent. 

I hope the time is not far off 

when I shall be able to unite all the 

wise and educated men of all the 

countries and establish a uniform 

regime based on the principles of 

the Quran which alone are true, 

and which alone can lead men to 

happiness. 

-As Quoted in Cherfils, ‘Bonaparte 

et Islam’ Paris, France 

Sir George Bernard Shaw 

If any religion had the chance of 

ruling over England, nay Europe 

within the next hundred years, it 

could be Islam. 

I have always held the religion 

of Mohammed in high estimation 

because of its wonderful vitality. It 

is the only religion which appears 

to me to possess that assimilating 

capacity to the changing phase of 

existence which can make itself 

appeal to every age. I have studied 

Him-the wonderful man and in 

my opinion far from being an 

anti-Christ, he must be called the 

Saviour of Humanity. 

I believe that if a man like him 

were to assume the dictatorship 

of the modern world, he would 

succeed in solving its problems 

in a way that would bring it the 

much needed peace and happiness: 

I have prophesied about the 

faith of Mohammed that it would 

be acceptable to the Europe of 

tomorrow as it is beginning to be 

acceptable to the Europe of today. 

-The Genuine Islam, Vol. 1, No. 

8, 1936. 

Bertrand Russell 

Our use of the phrase ‘The Dark 

Ages’ to cover the period from 699 

to 1000 marks our undue concentration 

on Western Europe. 

From India to Spain, the brilliant 

civilisation of Islam flourished. 

What was lost to Christendom at 

this time was not lost to civilisation 

but quite the contrary. 

To us, it seems that West-European 

civilisation is civilisation; but 

this is a narrow view. 

-History of Western Philosophy, 

London, 1948 

H G Wells 

The Islamic teachings have left 

great traditions for equitable and 

gentle dealings and behaviour 

and inspire people with nobility 

and tolerance. These are human 

teachings of the highest order and 

at the same time practicable. 

These teachings brought 

into existence a society in which 

hard-heartedness and collective 

oppression and injustice were the 

least as compared with all other 

societies preceding it. 

Islam is replete with gentleness, 

courtesy and fraternity. 

Dr William Draper 

During the period of the Caliphs, 

the learned men of the Christians 

and the Jews were not only held in 

21 

great esteem but were appointed 

to posts of great responsibility and 

were promoted to the high-ranking 

job in the government. He 

(Caliph Haroon Rasheed) never 

considered to which country a 

learned person belonged nor 

his faith and belief but only his 

excellence in the field of learning. 

-History of Intellectual Development 

of Europe 

Edward Montet 

Islam is a religion that is 

essentially rationalistic in 

the widest sense of this term 

considered etymologically and 

historically. The teachings of the 

Prophet and the Holy Quran have 

invariably kept their place as the 

fundamental starting point and 

the dogma of unity of God has 

always been proclaimed therein 

with a grandeur a majesty. They 

are an invariable purity and with 

a note of sure conviction, which is 

hard to find surpassed outside the 

pale of Islam. 

A creed so precise, so stripped 

of all theological complexities 

and consequently so accessible 

to the ordinary understanding 

might be expected to possess and 

does indeed possess a marvelous 

power of winning its way into the 

consciences of men. 

La Propagande Chrétienne et 

ses Adversaires Musulmans, Paris 

1890. 

(Also in T W Arnold in ‘The 

Preaching of Islam,’ London 1913.)


22 Communitylink 

Lawmakers want more women enrolled in GOPIO 

Venkat Raman 


Two Members of 

Parliament have asked 

the executives of the 

Global Organisation of 

People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) 

to enroll more women into its 

membership and encourage 

them to undertake greater 

responsibilities. 

Speaking at a gathering of 

GOPIO Chapters functioning 

in Auckland and Wellington, 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Dr 

Parmjeet Parmar (both List MPs 

of National Party) said that while 

GOPIO represents the entire 

Indian Diaspora, it would do well 

to accord better status for women 

in its executive committees. 

More than 60 members and 

guests attended the meeting 

and dinner organised by GOPIO 

Auckland Central President 

Shefali Mehta at Indian Accent 

Restaurant in Botany South on 

Monday, April 2, 2018. 

Predecessor acknowledged 

As well conducting the 

meeting, she acknowledged 

the services of Suman Kapoor, 

Founder-President of New 

Zealand’s first GOPIO Branch 

in Waikato (Hamilton) and 

Immediate Past International 

Coordinator (Oceania). 

“GOPIO will always be grateful 

to people like her, Jeet Suchdev 

(GOPIO’s Coordinator at the time 

of formation in 2017) and Harish 

Bajaj, first President of GOPIO 

New Zealand. 

Jayanti Lodhia and others at the GOPIO Dinner Meeting held on April 2, 201 

Shefali Mehta, Subodh Seth, Alkesh Sharma, Harish Lodhia, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Bhav 

Dhillon, Jayanti Lodhia and Dr Parmjeet Parmar at the Dinner Meeting 

Ms Mehta said that ‘GOPIO 

New Zealand’ can be formed as a 

‘common, country entity’ only if 

there are at least ten Branches or 

Chapters. 

“We have therefore requested 

Branch Presidents to present 

their activity report,” she said. 

The meeting incorporated 

a short seminar on ‘Positive 

attitude and Positive vision 

brings charged positive results,’ 

conducted by Dr Prakash Grover. 

Successful women 

Mr Bakshi said that he has been 

associated with GOPIO since its 

establishment in New Zealand in 

2017 and that he was proud of its 

achievements. 

“Women in our community 

are successful entrepreneurs 

and professionals and are true 

leaders in many fields. GOPIO 

Chapters in New Zealand should 

therefore provide more opportunities 

to them,” Mr Bakshi said. 

Jayanthi Lodhia with Suman Kapoor, Pradeep Kapoor and others at the GOPIO Waikato Lunch 

Meeting held on April 2, 2018 

Echoing those views, Dr Parmar 

said, “I am happy that GOPIO is 

involved in community and social 

projects and I am sure that it will 

continue to grow as a true representative 

of the Indian community 

in New Zealand. I also hope that 

more women will come forward 

to take up official positions.” 

Other Speakers 

Among the other speakers were 

Hon Indian Consul in Auckland 

Bhav Dhillon, Sydney-based 

GOPIO International Coordinator 

(Oceania) Jagdish Lodhia and 

Branch Presidents. 

Mr Lodhia, who was on his first 

official visit, asked Branch Presidents 

and members to increase 

membership so that New Zealand 

can play its role as a stronger 

organisation. 

“Every Branch should have at 

least 14 members and I am told 

that some of them have less than 

ten members at present. It is important 

to follow the GOPIO rules. 

As International Coordinator for 

the Oceania region, I will extend 

all support and assistance to carry 

our Movement forward. GOPIO 

has immense potential in New 

Zealand,” he said. 

Branch Reports 

Among those who presented 

their Branch reports were Dr 

Pushpa Wood (Wellington), Sanjeev 

Toora (representing Bombay 

Hills and Pukekhoe Chapters), 

Narendra Singla (Auckland South), 

Dr Ajit Singh (Papatoetoe) Alkesh 

Sharma, Auckland West, Subodh 

Seth (Botany) and Shefali Mehta 

(Auckland Central). 

GOPIO Waikato Meeting 

Earlier on April 2, 2018, GOPIO 

Waikato President Pradeep 

Kapoor and Founder-President 

and Immediate Past International 

Coordinator (Oceania) organised 

a get-together at the same venue, 

to mark the visit of her successor 

Jayanti Lodhia from Sydney. 

As the incumbent International 

Coordinator (Oceania), he was 

apprised of the activities of the 

Branch, following which he 

shared his vision for GOPIO New 

Zealand. 

About 20 men and women attended 

the event, which included 

a poem recited by Shiv Bhagirath 

and songs by Jyoti Virk and lunch. 

Indian apex body honours community veterans 

Venkat Raman 


Two veterans of the Indian 

community were honoured 

with Life Membership of the 

New Zealand Indian Central 

Association (NZICA) at the Annual 

General Meeting (AGM) of the 

Association held on Saturday, April 

21, 2018 at the Hamilton Boys High 

School, Hamilton. 

Harshad Patel, a Past-President 

of NZICA and Auckland Indian 

Association and Manjit Singh, a 

Past Treasurer of NZICA and a 

Past Vice-President of Pukekohe 

Indian Association received the 

highest recognition accorded by the 

Association either to its members 

or other highly distinguished New 

Zealander. 

The late Sir Edmund Hillary was 

among them. 

Following the democratic process, 

Mr Patel and Mr Singh were elected 

by the AGM to receive this honour. 

The Annual General Meeting, 

92nd in an annual series, was 

hosted by the Waikato Indian 

Association and accounted for more 

than 120 men and women, including 

people from other communities. 

Distinguished Gathering 

Among them were Office of 

Ethnic Communities Senior Advisor 

Mary Wilson, who was the Chief 

Guest, Hamilton East National MP 

David Bennett, Labour List MP 

Jamie Strange, Waikato University 

Teaching Fellow and Research 

Associate Todd Nachowitz, and ANZ 

Bank Head of Migrant & Auckland 

Asian Banking Jack Hou, who were 

Guests of Honour. 

Mr Nachowitz, who speaks fluent 

Hindi, plays the Tabla and has 

an in-depth knowledge of Indian 

festivals and religious rituals, was 

Bhikhu Bhana places the NZICA Life Membership on Harshad Patel 

Manjit Singh receives his Life Membership Award from Bhikhu Bhana 

the Keynote Speaker. 

The Waikato Ladies Group 

performed a traditional Welcome 

Dance. 

Service Awards 

Ms Wilson presented the ‘NZICA 

Community Service Award’ to 

Pritam Kaur of Pukekohe Indian 

Association, Jayanti Sima of Bay of 

Plenty (Rotorua) Indian Association 

and Manisha Morar of Wellington 

Indian Association. 

Mr Bennett and Mr Strange 

presented Merit Certificates for 

attending more than 15 Annual 

Conferences of NZICA to Bhikhu 

Bhana (Pukekohe Indian Association), 

Krishnalal Pragji (Bay of 

Plenty-Rotorua Indian Association), 

Chandu Daji and Kanti Bhikha 

(Auckland Indian Association). 

Earlier, following the official 

inaugural by Ms Wilson, Dr Nachowitz 

spoke about the migration 

of Indians into New Zealand, which 

was a subject of his research. 

“Whilst the common perception 

is that Indians arrived in New 

Zealand from the 1880s, my thesis 

shows that Indian sailors came to 

our shores in the 1600s,” he said 

and outlined some other aspects of 

his study. 

Among the other speakers at the 

Conference were NZICA President 

Bhikhu Bhana, General Secretary 

Prakash Biradar, Waikato Indian 

Association President Tatum Pragji 

Office-bearers for 2018-2019 (from left) Hansa Naran, Paul Patel, Bhikhu Bhana, Prakash Biradar 

and Monisha Morar (Pictures supplied) 

and Wellington Indian Association 

President Paul Patel. Treasurer 

Hansa Naran received guests 

affixing the traditional ‘tilak’ on their 

foreheads. 

Associations inducted 

Despite its long service to the 

Indian community and despite being 

the first and only national body of 

Indians, the NZICA has thus far not 

been able to attract all Indian associations, 

especially those catering to 

people from various Indian States. 

The Constitution of NZICA and its 

inability to breakthrough its barriers 

have kept many away. 

However, two organisations, 

namely the Telangana Association 

of New Zealand and the Auckland 

Tamil Association were inducted as 

‘Probationary Associate Members of 

the NZICA.’ Although stated to be the 

first step towards a full membership, 

such distinctions keep regional 

associations away from NZICA. 

The NZICA veterans should revisit 

their Constitution and accord full 

members to Associations that are 

registered at least for three years. 

As if he has read our thoughts, Mr 

Biradar wrote in his Report, “The 

Wider Representation Committee of 

NZICA is working on a new strategy 

to include more Indian Groups.” 

Office-Bearers 2018-2019 

The AGM elected the following to 

the main posts: 

Bhikhu Bhana from Pukekohe 

(President), Paul Patel from Wellington 

(Vice President), Prakash Biradar 

from Auckland (General Secretary), 

Manisha Morar from Wellington 

(Assistant Secretary) Hansa Naran 

from Manukau Indian Association, 

now known as Indian Association of 

New Zealand (Treasurer). 

The following were elected as 

Chairpersons of various subcommittees: 

Ratilal Champaneri (Immigration 

and International Students 

Welfare Committee), Harshad Patel 

(Indian High Commission Liaison 

Committee), Puspa Lekinwala 

(Health, Welfare and Senior Citizens 

Committee), Paramjeet Dhatt (Law 

& Order, Crime Prevention Committee), 

Ashok Darji (Constitution 

Committee), Primla Khar (Women’s 

Committee), Dr Lingappa Kalburgi 

(Wider Representation Committee), 

Madanjeet Bange (Awards, Honours 

and Life Membership Committee), 

Jay Randhawa (Business Committee) 

and Manjit Singh (Funding and 

Budgeting Committee). 

In a press note, Mr Biradar said 

that people of Indian origin facing 

problems could contact the relevant 

chairpersons for assistance. 

“They could also write to me 

(Email: secretary@nzindians.org. 

nz)” he said.

MAY 1,2018 

Communitylink 

Spiritual Leader sets the human path forsoul-searching 

Diverse and dynamic team at Indian Association of NewZealand 

Correspondent 

Ragavan 

Rengachariar 

Mahant Swamy 

Maharaj, theSixth 

andcurrent Spiritual 

Head of the BAPS 

SampradaySwaminarayan 

Sanstha, visitedthe Avondale 

Swaminarayan Temple from 

February13toFebruary 20, 2018. 

During his speeches, discourses 

andotherevents, he inspiredthe 

youngand the old. 

The dailymorning prayer session 

whichstarted at 530 am,was 

attended by adults andchildren 

with enthusiasm and devotion, 

packing the hall to capacity. 

Many devotees camefromdifferent 

parts of New Zealand, 

Australia and PacificIslandcountries. 

Anumberofreligious ascetics 

(sadhus) of BAPS Sanstha 

visited alongwithMahant Swamy 

Maharaj, adding to thepiety of 

the weeklong programme. 

Sanskruti Ek Khoj 

Addressing in Hindi alarge 

gatheringofdevotees atthe North 

ShoreEvent Centre on February 

17,2018, he said, “Weare the 

Atma(soul)not thebody. God 

is the‘Paramatma’ or ‘Param 

Shanthi’ (ComprehensivePeace). 

Atmarealisesafter afew cycles 

of birth that it needs ‘Sanskar’ 

(Traditional Values), ‘Satsang’ 

(SacredGathering) and‘Guru,’because 

a‘Satguru’ (Enlightened 

andentitled to teach) canhelp 

theAtma to putBhakti(unconditionallove) 

on Paramatma 

The Indian Association of 

New Zealand (IANZ) has 

done itagain. 

In amove that is unprecedented, 

women will make 

up one-third ofthe Association’s 

Executive Committee. 

At its Annual General Meeting 

held earlierthis month,10women 

were electedtothe expanded 

30-members executive for 

2018-2019. 

“Thisisinkeeping with IANZ’s 

philosophy ofgender-equality, diversity 

and inclusiveness,”Veer 

Khar, who was elected as IANZ 

President, said. 

He takes over from outgoing 

President Suresh Ramji. 

Ram Lingam was re-elected as 

Vice-President and Roy Kaunds 

as General Secretary. 

Diverse andVersatile 

Mr Khar said that the 

Committee members included 

people fromGujarat,Punjab, 

Maharashtra,Karnataka, 

Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Fiji, Kenya 

and Zimbabwe. 

“We are one of the most diverse 

and inclusive amongall 

Indianassociations,” Khar said. 

The Executive Committee is 

made upofprofessionals who 

havegreatly contributed to the 

Indiandiaspora’s growing clout 

in the wider community. 

It includesone PhD holder, 

tworesearch scholars, four engineers, 

five bankers, teachers, 

educators, anarchitect, a 

Mahant Swami performs Mangala Arti at the installation ceremony in Auckland 

The new team at the Indian Association of New Zealand (Supplied) 

film maker, aGP, aclinical psychologist, 

achemicalanalyst, 

consultants, small and medium 

business operators andsocial 

workers. The representation also 

comesfrom variousreligious 

affiliations. 

“We want to do some real 

work in thecommunity and 

raise awareness of local issues. 

We can only do this if we have 

the intellectualcapital,” Mr 

Lingam said. 

Digital technology 

Mr Kaunds,known for his outspokenadvocacy 

of the ‘New 

Diaspora,’ said that the first task 

of the new team would beincreased 

visibility and expand 

membership. 

Mahant Swami after installing the Deity of Shri Nilkanth Varni Maharaj in Georgia, USA in 

June 2017 (Photo from Website) 

(TheSupreme Soul). OnceAtma 

comesinto ‘Satsang,’then there 

is ‘Anand’ (Bliss). Oneneedsto 

take‘SukhDukh’ (Happiness 

and Sadness)equally.That attitude 

or Bhava is essential to come 

through‘Satsang.’ 

Body,Mind andSoulcleansing 

The event included performances 

by devotees of the 

Temple. 

MahantSwamy said that the 

purportofperformances was 

to promote the value of honesty 

withthe understanding thatGod 

is watching everything. 

He citedthe example of Atma 

Ram (a character in one of the 

performances), asoldierinthe 

Indian Armywho bathedevery 

day, incessant to extreme cold 

weather and spentatleastafew 

minutesinprayer. 

“This is practice of ‘Deha 

Suddhi,’ (Body Cleanliness) which 

isimperative to theequally important 

cleanliness of themind 

and thesoulasprescribed inthe 

Hindu scripturesand as practised 

by our Sadhus. These good habits 

help us lead ahealthylife,”he 

said. 

Stating thatwefollowvalue-based 

culture,Mahant Swamy 

saidthatthese valuesare engrained 

in thelives of people 

through their Guru. 

Knowledge and Deliverance 

“Without aGuru, therewillbe 

no Gnana(Knowledge). Without 

Gnana, therewill be no ‘Atma 

Vicharan (InternalQuest). Death 

is notthe end of life as theAtma 

continuesand movestothe next 

stage depending on the deeds 

ofthe person –‘Papa’ (Bad) or 

‘Punya’ (Good).The knowledge 

of Atmahelps onetocomeout of 

anymisery wherethe netofGood 

Karma (GoodDeeds) and Bad 

Karma (Bad Deeds) helpinthe 

upliftmentofthe Atman. 

On Sunday, February 18, 2018, 

aMaha Poojawas performed 

with Vedic chants by Sadhus to 

promotehealth,happiness,prosperity 

and innerpeace to all. 

The prayers alsomarked the 

auspicious occasion of ‘Murti 

Pratishta Mahotsav’ (Installation 

“TheAssociation is expanding 

its digital footprint in the coming 

months. For starters, weare 

shifting ourCommittee meetings 

to teleconferencing to save time 

and resources. Our website is being 

upgraded to become more 

interactive. Wehave started a 

Twitter handle and have professionals 

advising us on our social 

media initiatives.Besides this we 

haveathree-pronged strategy to 

reach out tothe wider community 

which includes, sporting, cultural 

and educational projects. 

We arereaching out to women, 

youth, seniors and everyone 

in-between,” hesaid. 

Multimillion Dollar Centre 

The flagship of IANZ will be 

of theDeity) of Shri Nilkanth 

VarniMaharaj, the youthfulyogic 

formofLord Swaminarayan. 

Registered devoteesand donors 

were given therequisite Pooja 

materialsand step-by-stepguidance 

to perform theGrand Feat. 

Devotees were later given anopportunity 

to repeat thereligious 

rites. 

Thereafter, Mahant Swamy formally 

installedthe Deity within 

the special Mandap erectedand 

performedthe Abhishek withthe 

Sadhus. 

This tradition of installation of 

Nilkanth Varni MaharajMurthi 

and performing Abhishek forinner 

peaceand wish fulfilment 

was revived by the previous Guru 

PramukhSwamy Maharaj. 

Anyone visiting the Temple in 

Avondale can have theAbhishek 

performed. 

AboutBAPS Swaminarayan 

Sanstha 

TheBAPS (Bochasanvasi 

Akshar Purushottam 

Swaminarayan)Swaminarayan 

Sanstha is aspiritual, volun- 

the new sevenmillion-dollar, 

three-storey, 600-capacity, multi-useDiversity 

Centrethat is 

nearing completion atTui Road 

in Papatoetoe. 

Mr Khar, who has been 

the drivingforce behind the 

Diversity Centre said that IANZ 

had madearrangements to purchase 

the adjoining property to 

the Centre. 

“The building is 70% complete 

and weare looking at ayear-end 

move-in date. The Centrewillbecome 

the social and cultural hub 

for the entire South Auckland 

community,” he said. 

IANZ has come alongway 

from humble beginnings in 1979 

when it started, inhired rooms, 

23 

teer-drivenorganisationdedicat- 

edtoimproving society through 

individual growth by fostering 

theHinduideals of faith, unity, 

and selfless service. 

Bhagwan Swaminarayan establishedthe 

Swaminarayan 

faith andrenewedthe ideals of 

Hinduism in 18th centuryIndia. 

He established aspiritual way 

of life and code of conducttobe 

followed. 

‘Satsang’isaword used by 

Swaminarayan followers to describe 

the processofassociating 

withGod andthe Guru to achieve 

SpiritualEnlightenment. 

‘Sat’ and‘Sang’ inSanskrit 

mean ‘Associationwith Truth.’ 

Swaminarayan’s followers 

are commonly referred to as 

‘Satsangis’ as theyidentify with 

Swaminarayan Satsang. 

Satsangis livetheir daily livesin 

accordancewitharighteous code 

of conduct, or Dharma, whichis 

definedbythe Swaminarayan 

scriptures as wellasby the living 

Guru. 

The central religious tenet for 

BAPS SatsangisisBhakti, or devotion 

to God. 

Bhakti, when combined 

withDharma, GnanaVairagya 

(Detachment), makesaperson 

an idealdevotee,oran‘Ekantik 

Bhakta.’ 

This is achieved in the BAPS 

Swaminarayan Sanstha by devoting 

oneselftoGod as per the example 

setbythe guru.The Guru 

is theideal bhakta of God; hence, 

the Guru guides spiritualaspirantsonthe 

path to spiritual 

bliss, astate thatheenjoys 

continuously. 

as an informal school to teach 

Indian children their mother 

tongue. Then known asthe 

SouthAuckland Indian Cultural 

Society Inc, the main aim was 

to preserve and promoteIndian 

culture, hold language classes, 

celebrate festivals and pass this 

heritage ontoanew generation. 

“Theworld aroundus, the diaspora 

and ouroriginalname 

has changed, but not our original 

objectivesremainthe same,”Mr 

Khar said. 

The New Team 

The following have been 

elected as Office-bearers for 

2018-2019. 

Veer Khar (President), Suresh 

Ramji (Chair Estates/Second 

Vice President tobeconfirmed), 

Ram Lingam (Vice President), 

Roy Kaunds (General Secretary), 

Keshav Govind (Assistant 

Secretary), Monark Panchal 

(Treasurer), Arishma Chand 

(Assistant Treasurer), Priyanka 

Raina (Web-Coordinator). 

Executive Committee Members: 

AnitaMunshi, Balubhai Mistry, 

Hansa Naran, Hira Dhaya, Jeet 

Suchdev, Jeet Wadhwa, Jotsyna 

Mistry, Laxmiben Morar, Manish 

Sharma, Munish Bhatt, Murad 

Padania,Narinder Kumar Singla, 

Nishma Pattni, Paramjit Dhatt, 

Prakash Grover, Primla Khar, 

Rita Moza, Suhas Shanbhogue, 

Surinder Pal Singh Bajaj, Surjeet 

Singh Suchdeva, Vasanti Govind.


24 Communitylink 

Model of the Fortnight 

Music is 

more than 

medicine 

for this 

pharmacist 

More than embarrassment, hair loss can be a health issue 

Kalpana Kumar offers such unique solutions 

Venkat Raman 


Have you have ever wondered 

why an increasing 

number of men 

and women, especially 

those less than 30 years of age, 

suffer from hair loss? 

Some of them wear their bald 

head with pride as a fashion 

statement but many others try to 

hide it with a head gear. 

It need not be so. There is a 

treatment available, but before 

you read further, promise 

yourself that you will seek 

proper medical advice and consult 

your family doctor or GP before 

proceeding with any type of 

treatment. 

“Balding in men is so common 

that it does not raise an eyebrow. 

But when a woman starts to lose 

hair, it can be extremely distressing,” 

says Rodney Sinclair, 

Professor of Dermatology at 

University of Melbourne and 

Honorary at Epworth Hospital. 

Alopecia (hair loss) is becoming 

common. 

“It does not describe the type 

or the cause of a particular sort 

of hair loss; women can lose significant 

amounts of hair for a 

number of reasons. Everyone 

knows chemotherapy can make 

hair fall out. But after the medical 

treatment hair will grow 

again,” he said. 

Although a pharmacist by qualification 

and profession, Iwas 

born to sing and entertain 

people, winning their hearts 

says Shithi Saha, our Model of the 

fortnight. 

While many of our Models of the 

Fortnight have aspired to have a large 

fan-following, Shithi has entered our 

columns being a celebrity. Just visit her 

website or Facebook, you would understand 

why. 

Her voice is not just magnetic; it is 

mesmerising. 

From Bangladesh where she was 

born and raised, and New Zealand 

where she lives and India to which 

she travels often for performances, recordings 

and shootings to the rest of 

the world where she is awaited with 

applauding audiences, Shithi is a celebrity 

by her own right. But the Sub- 

Continent woman that she is, none of 

the limelight blinds her attitude. 

Early Start 

Starting her musical journey when 

she was just four years of age, Shithi 

had the guidance and encouragement 

of her parents. She is today proficient 

in various forms of fine arts including 

singing, dancing, arts & crafts, poetry 

Kalpana Kumar (Picture Supplied) 

Kalpana Kumar 

In Auckland, Kalpana Kumar, 

a confident, USA-trained Hair 

Enhancement Specialist offers 

a variety of treatment and solutions 

to the young, old, men and 

women. 

She said that hair loss, which 

used to occur after a person 

reaches 45 years of age or more, 

is now seen among younger people 

and even teenagers. 

“Earlier generations faced 

stress only after the age of 30 but 

youngsters today lead competitive 

life and hence stress afflicts 

them even from their school 

years. Lack of inclination towards 

sports and good breathing 

exercise are also contributing to 

slow physical growth and poor 

recitation, drama and music. 

She has a long list of musical albums 

to her credit. Here is a sample: 

Angul Chuyachey Angul Tomar; 

Bishshoye Ghor; Mon Debo Mon 

Nebo (Title Track) and Ma Durga. 

Her filmography includes Tara 

Tin Jon Jhamelay Achey; Aynabaji, 

Dwondo Shomash, Ei Shomoy, and 

Modhu Renu Shomapon. 

Record of Records 

Shithi has won more than 

100 awards throughout her 

music career. 

She has also won four 

National Awards in Rabindra 

Sangeet City Cell Channel I 

and the Best Modern Singer 

Award in 2010. 

The next time you switch 

on a Bangladesh or Indian 

TV channel, chances are 

that you will find Shithi 

doing a song, a commercial 

or a serial. 

-Venkat Raman 

If you like to be featured 

as our Model of the 

Fortnight, please write to 

editor@indiannewslink. 

co.nz 

Hair Extension is a part of Hair Enhancement 

(Photo by Eric Froehling on Unsplash) 

hair quality. Youngsters need 

good nutrition, which is often neglected. 

Poor food habits are also 

factors for hair loss,” she said. 

Scalp Analysis 

Kalpana conducts scalp analysis 

on consultation using a 

microscope at her ‘Kal’s Hair 

Enhancement Specialist Clinic, 

located at Weymouth, near 

Manurewa in South Auckland. 

“Hair over the entire scalp 

can be shed because of medications, 

pregnancy, thyroid disorders, 

major surgery, fever, blood 

loss, iron deficiency, starvation 

and crash dieting. The shedding, 

called ‘Telogen Effluvium,’ can 

last two or three months before 

the woman recovers completely, 

although occasionally it can become 

chronic,” she said. 

According to her, hair loss today 

may not be hormonal and 

can be successfully corrected by 

strengthening the hair roots with 

nutritional supplements and 

strengthening the hair roots. 

Strong hair roots 

“Strong hair roots can stand 

against any cause. Treatment of 

hair loss does not require use 

of antihormones and enzyme 

blockers. Antioxidants and vitamins 

can effectively fight stress. 

We not only control hair loss but 

also grow 30% more new hair 

with scalp applications and nutritional 

supplements within 

two months without any side-effects. 

The new vitamin-based 

treatment has been published internationally. 

Our treatment is 

effective in men and women at 

any age and any type or grade of 

hair loss,” she said. 

Qualified Specialist 

Kalpana has been involved in 

beauty business even as a teenager 

in her native Fiji, where 

she began with threading and 

facial treatments. When she 18 

years old, she set up her own 

Consultancy. Prior to establishing 

her Clinic in Auckland, she 

learnt traditional and modern 

beauty and hair enhancement 

treatment in India, Thailand and 

the United States of America. 

Microchet Hair Extensions 

As well as offering eight different 

methods of hair extensions, 

Kal’s Hair Enhancement 

Specialists provide ‘Microchet 

Hair Extensions (a well-known 

American company based in 

Glendale, California). 

“We were the first to bring this 

solution into the Australasian region 

and our clients travel from 

Melbourne and other places to 

get this product,” Kalpana said. 

International Brands 

Kal’s Hair Enhancement 

Specialist is the Sole Authorised 

Distributors for Sepia Hair 

Extension & Wigs, Elegante Wigs, 

Black N Gold, all USA based 

companies. 

Her Clinic is also a service provider, 

registered with Health Pac 

Payee. 

“We can help you to claim the 

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payment from the Ministry 

of Health, depending on your eligibility 

to claim. We provide 

wigs and hair pieces to people 

suffering from hair loss due to 

cancer, chemotherapy, alopecia, 

trichotillomania and other medical 

conditions causing hair loss,” 

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Her other services include 

brow artistry, eyelash extension 

and most important of all, genuine 

care and treatment. 

“I have always enjoyed helping 

people look good and feel good 

about themselves,” she said.


Entertainmentlink 

25 

Arun Khotkar Dr Hubert D’Cruze Ekta Kumar Guncha Singh Kanik Mongia 

Kanika Deish 

Neel Patel 

Srishaa Iyer 

Ritika Badakere Ravi Shetty Ritika Badakere Sandhya Badakere Shibashis Dutta Choudhury 

Local talent to reverberate S D Burman musical show 

Venkat Raman 


In a world where opportunism 

flourishes, loyalty is indeed an 

old-fashioned word. 

However, familiarity, sense 

of belonging and commitment to 

friendship have always triumphed, 

which is why organisations such as 

‘Swar Sadhana Academy’ and ‘Ravi 

Shetty Concepts’ have marched 

along, hand-in-hand, presenting 

quality musical programmes. 

Joining them is an equally dedicated 

team of singers and instrumentalists 

who prove the saying, 

“If put to the pinch, an ounce 

of loyalty is worth a pound of 

cleverness.” 

Sandya Badakere of the 

‘Academy’ and Ravi Shetty of 

the ‘Concepts’ are to present the 

third edition of their now famous, 

‘Suneheri Yaadein,’ with a tribute 

to Sachin Dev Burman (about who 

we have written in the past two issues) 

on Saturday, May 26, 2018 

from 630 pm at Dorothy Winstone 

Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar 

School, Howe Street, Newton. 

Auckland City. 

Suneheri Yaadein for Hohepa 

‘Suneheri Yaadein,’ this year 

is being held in aid of Hohepa 

Auckland, a charitable organisation 

that provides people with 

intellectual disabilities to live, 

learn and work with others of all 

abilities. 

Tickets priced at $20 per person 

are now on sale. 

Fourteen singers, backed by a 

proficient orchestra, are currently 

rehearsing for the show that 

promises the best of a music maestro 

who has tuned some of the 

most memorable melodies that 

transcend time and technological 

innovation. 

Here is a brief profile of the singers 

in alphabetical order. 

Arun Khotkar 

A Mechanical Engineer by profession, 

Arun Khotkar has had a 

great passion for music since his 

childhood. He has appeared in various 

music programmes for the 

past 20 years. 

Arun is a Director of Swar- 

Sadhana Music Academy and has 

been a performer at all its professional 

programmes. 

“I look forward to ‘Suneheri 

Yaadein,’ which will be spell-binding 

with melodious songs composed 

by legendary Music Director 

S D Burman. We look forward to 

your presence and support,” he 

said. 

Ekta Kumar 

From her early days as a student 

and now as a teacher, Ekta Kumar 

has an inexplicable affinity to 

‘Swar Sadhana’ and with a Grade 

7 Certificate in Western Classical 

music (Vocal) from Trinity College 

of London and a Diploma in 

Hindustani Music, she is a great asset 

to the Institution. 

Beginning her musical career at 

the age of nine, Ekta has participated 

in countless cultural events and 

musical shows in her native India 

and New Zealand. 

Guncha Singh 

New Zealand audiences know 

her as the ‘Shadow Voice of Lata 

Mangeshkar’ but only a few may 

be aware that Guncha Singh is a 

Quality Assurance Technologist at 

a food manufacturing company in 

Auckland. 

“I am lucky to be a student 

at the ‘Academy’ learning 

Hindustani Classical from a renowned 

and yet a humble Guru, 

Sandhya Badakere. Being a part of 

‘Suneheri Yaadein’ concert has always 

been a wonderful experience 

and every year there is new excitement,” 

she said. 

Dr Hubert D’Cruze 

Some call him ‘Guru Dutt,’ a few 

‘Hemant Kumar’ and yet others 

‘Talat Mahmood,’ but Dr Hubert 

D’Cruze calls himself “An Amateur 

singer.” Like millions of people 

around the world, he regards 

Rabindranath Tagore as one of the 

most inspiring poets of all time. 

“I am very happy and feel very 

privileged to be part of ‘Suneheri 

Yaadein.’ Please come and enjoy 

a melodious evening of S D 

Barman’s magical music,” he said. 

Kanik Mongia 

An Auckland based singer and 

songwriter, Kanik Mongia is a 

Swar Sadhna Academy student 

with a several performances to his 

credit. He has a strong presence 

on YouTube and is preparing to release 

a new Punjabi track under 

an independent label in India. 

“I am looking forward to entertaining 

the audience on the May 

26, 2018, reliving some classic melodies,” 

he said. 

Kanika Diesh 

Having studied Classical 

Hindustani Vocal Music under 

Pandit Vinay Chandra Maudgalya 

in Delhi, Kanika Diesh commenced 

learning light vocal music under 

the guidance of Sandhya after 

moving from Wellington to 

Auckland about ten years ago. 

Her focus now is on voice modulation, 

breathing techniques and 

rendering songs greatly enhanced 

by her singing technique. 

“’Suneheri Yaadein’ concerts are 

always professionally managed 

with a great song selection, talented 

singers and a team of committed 

musicians,” she said. 

Neel Patel 

Being a Swar Sadhana student, 

Neel Patel has learnt the nuances 

of stage performance and believes 

that he is privileged to perform 

with “a line-up of amazing musicians 

and singers.” 

He considers his recent opening 

performance with Rahat Fateh 

Ali Khan as “an experience of a 

lifetime.” 

“I have always strived to connect 

to the audience through my music. 

I believe that more than just notes 

and lyrics, music is an intimate 

means of communication,” he said. 

Rachit Bhatia 

Rachit Bhatia is a versatile singer 

and songwriter and has been performing 

in New Zealand for over 

16 years. He is well known for his 

vocal ability and excellent stage 

presence. 

Rachit was both the youngest 

contestant and the first-ever 

Indian to reach the Top 24 of ‘New 

Zealand Idol.’ Having recently returned 

from the UK, he is looking 

forward to the third edition 

of ‘Sunehri Yaadein’ in this series 

of tributes to Bollywood’s musical 

maestros. 

Ravi Shetty 

On Air and on Stage, Ravi Shetty 

is an entertainer par excellence. 

Beyond those credentials, he is 

a fine human being. With ten 

years of association with ‘Sunehri 

Yaadein,’ he must be one of three 

veterans of the series. 

“This journey has been extremely 

gratifying. ‘Sunehri Yaadein’ has 

provided many singers like me a 

platform to showcase our singing 

competence. It was under this banner 

and Guru Sandhya Rao that 

many artistes were groomed and 

given the knowledge of Hindustani 

classical music and its various flavours,” 

he said. 

Ritika Badakere 

A talented singer, Ritika 

Badakere has been a star performer 

at many events in New Zealand 

and has been a part of ‘Suneheri 

Yaadein,’ since it began. 

“The selection of songs is impeccable, 

with each of them tuned and 

performed for audience appreciation. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed 

being a part of this group and am 

really looking forward to performing 

with them on May 26. This will 

be a show worth watching!” she 

said. 

Sandhya Rao Badakere 

This Reporter remembers having 

met Sandhya Rao Badakere 

shortly after her migration to New 

Zealand in October 2002. “Your 

voice is melodious, you must be a 

singer,” he said, as they waited for 

the arrival of the then Governor 

General Dame Sylvia Cartwright 

at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in 

Eden Terrace (Auckland) to inaugurate 

Diwali 2002. 

It was soon thereafter we learnt 

that Sandhya was groomed in 

Vibha Trivedi 

Hindustani Classical and Semi- 

Classical Music by Pandit Phiroze 

Dastoor, Dr Prabha Atre and 

Mohinderjit Singh. 

“Those keen on learning Music 

will benefit if starts an Academy,” 

we thought. 

Presto! 

“People will enjoy good music if 

she were to put together shows,” 

we told her in 2003. 

Presto! 

And for the record, Sandhya has 

a Diploma in Music from Bombay 

University and has performed in 

India, Sri Lanka, USA and Australia 

and New Zealand. 

Shibashis Dutta Choudhury 

A Civil Engineer by occupation, 

Shibashis Dutta Choudhury took to 

music when he was a child under 

his mother’s guidance. His performances 

at school and college were 

noted with interest. 

Following a 14-year break from 

music to attend to personal matters, 

Shibashis will return to stage 

with ‘Suneheri Yaadein,’ on May 

26, 2018. 

“I am privileged to perform on 

the biggest platform for Indian 

Music in Auckland. Sachin and 

Rahul Dev Burman are my favourites,” 

he said. 

Srishaa Iyer 

This 20-year-old student of 

University of Auckland has been 

learning music since she was five 

years old. Srishaa Iyer enjoys singing 

in different languages and has 

several YouTube clips and a Single 

to her credit. 

“I believe that singing for 

‘Sunehri Yaadein’ is a lovely opportunity 

to enjoy singing and listening 

to the beautiful music of 

yesteryears. I have grown up in 

New Zealand and I engage with 

music in a meaningful way. I am 

privileged to work with amazing 

musicians,” she said. 

Vibha Trivedi 

Vibha Trivedi comes from a family 

of admirers and proponents 

of music for generations. From 

Classical Music to Hindi film songs, 

music has always been an essential 

part of her life. 

Vibha is thrilled to perform the 

legendry Burman’s compositions 

that she grew up listening and 

these are very close to her heart. 

She is equally excited to be a part 

of ‘Suneheri Yaadein’ team and is 

thankful of her Guru, Sandhya for 

giving her the opportunity.


26 Classifiedlink/Entertainmentlink 

New Tiger leaps forward with power and fury 

Apurv Shukla 

Hindi Cinema has found 

its newest action hero 

in Tiger Shroff. 

The 28-year-old delivered 

the biggest hit of his career 

with ‘Baaghi 2.’ It was the 

continuation of the ‘Baaghi’ franchise, 

which started in 2016. 

Tiger co-starred with Disha 

Patani and Manoj Bajpayee to 

deliver a high-octane revenge 

thriller. 

‘Baaghi 2’ is an official remake 

of the 2016 Telugu hit ‘Kshanam’ 

but was a different cinematic 

outing to the original. It was 

mounted on a lavish scale for 

Tiger to exhibit his prowess as 

an action hero. 

Deadly combination 

The slickly-designed action 

stunts were a combination of 

martial arts and machinery warfare. 

Tiger played an army man 

and sported a short crop for the 

first time in his career. 

What held ‘Baaghi 2’ together 

was an engaging story and 

screenplay. There were twists 

and turns galore that kept the 

viewers guessing. 

The film had apopular musical 

score, with two recreated songs 

dominating the airwaves. 

Jacqueline Fernandez was 

a reprisal of Madhuri Dixit’s 

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Baaghi 2-A blockbuster hits the Hindi screen 

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iconic ‘Ek Do Teen’ number in 

‘Tezaab’ and drew accolades 

and brickbats in equal measure. 

Critics were quick to pronounce 

Jacqueline’s Zumba-inspired 

dance moves as a ‘terrible let 

down.’ But the song succeeded 

in its makers’ sole aim- to draw 

people’s attention towards their 

product. 

The Nadiadwala Magic 

Sajid Nadiadwala, who produced 

‘Baaghi,’ has played a 

big part in Tiger’s success. He 

also produced his debut film 

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‘Heropanti,’ and gave him a 

launch comparable to any big 

star. 

‘Heropanti’ was produced and 

presented like a major A list 

movie. 

Tiger has delivered all his 

three hits with Nadiadwala productions. 

Tiger is also a good 

dancer, and that has helped him 

become very popular with children. 

‘Baaghi 2’ was a keenly 

anticipated film since its first 

trailer was launched. It had all 

the ingredients of a typical Hindi 

masala potboiler, packaged for 

today’s times and designed to attract 

the youth. 

Promotions and publicity have 

become an integral part of today’s 

filmmaking process. 

A Hindi film has to face stiff 

competition and create the curiosity 

of filmgoers. This is the 

meeting point where Hollywood 

and Indian regional cinema create 

excellent content. 

Jackie’s Shroff 

Tiger is the son of yesteryear’s 

superstar Jackie Shroff. 

Jackie was a proud father 

who spoke glowingly about his 

son on a visit to Auckland three 

years ago. He said that Tiger was 

named ‘Jai’ when he was born. 

But since the child had great affinity 

to scratch and bite people, 

his name was changed to Tiger. 

The success of ‘Baaghi 2’ is an 

example of a how a modern-day 

action film should appeal to the 

audience. After a disappointing 

2017, where the majority of films 

flopped, 2018 has thus far been a 

successful year for the industry. 

Researcher says cyberbullies do not spare even nurses 

Dr Natalia D’Souza 

As nurses rally for 

better pay and working 

conditions around the 

country, new research by 

a Massey University PhD graduate 

highlights the growing problem of 

cyberbullying in the sector. 

Dr Natalia D’Souza, who received 

her doctoral degree last week, 

wrote her thesis on workplace cyberbullying 

and found that nurses 

not only experience bullying by 

other staff, but also by patients and 

their families. 

The following are her observations: 

Workplace bullying in the health 

sector is well documented, but 

digital technology is adding a new 

and potentially harmful element to 

the experiences of nurses at work. 

Constant nuisance 

The nurses who participated in 

my study described specific differences 

between cyberbullying and 

traditional face-to-face bullying, 

including the ability for people 

outside their organisation to bully 

them constantly. 

With traditional bullying, you 

would usually place bans on 

people and restrict their entry into 

the facility but, with cyberbullying, 

that is not possible. 

So, nurses now have this 

additional source of bullying but 

there are no measures put in place 

to manage it. 

Electronic harassment 

Patient care responsibilities also 

make it difficult for nurses to block 

communication if they are being 

bullied by electronic channels. 

I was told about a case in which 

a nurse was being bullied by a 

patient’s mother, and she used 

her son to gain access. She would 

call to ask for help for her son, but 

then start abusing the nurse, so 

the nurse was hesitant to block 

the calls in case it was a genuine 

emergency. 

Cyberbullying can also affect 

victim’s families. 

The public component 

There can also be a public 

component to cyberbullying when 

abuse is posted online. 

Nurses can become concerned 

about their professional reputation 

if they are cyberbullied on a 

public platform like social media. 

Sometimes their personal contact 

details have been posted online, 

or false allegations made to the 

Nursing Council. 

This can produce a lot of anxiety 

as they have no control over who 

might see it. 

Nurses in this situation worry 

not only about their job and their 

own wellbeing, but also about the 

effect on their families should they 

see the content. 

Workplace issues 

I have also found that nurses 

who were victims of cyberbullying 

often suffered traditional forms of 

workplace bullying too. 

These bullying behaviours can 

build on each other to create even 

greater harm in a more complex 

and dynamic way. 

So, the traditional bullying impacts 

of anxiety and depression apply, 

but there is an almost unique 

anxiety associated with the public 

nature of cyberbullying, along with 

the constant accessibility outside of 

work hours. 

Cyberbullying can be a problem 

in any workplace 

Impact elsewhere 

While my thesis focused on the 

nursing profession, its implications 

would apply in other workplaces. 

One of the things that clearly 

emerged from my research is that 

cyberbullying is still an unknown 

problem and organisations are not 

sure how to deal with it. 

Pathways for support 

I also suggest that organisations 

create pathways for getting support 

from Netsafe, which can assist and 

support victims, including working 

with social media platforms to get 

content removed. 

Cyberbullying needs to be 

acknowledged as aproblem first, 

then supporting mechanisms need 

to be implemented to encourage 

people to report. 

In the absence of education and 

prevention, it is a problem that will 

continue to grow because of the 

accessibility that electronic devices 

provide. 

I also expect to see new types 

of cyberbullying as technology 

develops. 

Natalia D’Souza is a Lecturer 

at the School of Management 

at Massey University Albany 

Campus based in North Shore, 

Auckland. (Photo Courtesy: 

Massey News)


MPs want sporting structure prioritised in Auckland 

Nikki Kaye and Denise Lee 

Auckland Council and 

the Government 

must prioritise 

Auckland’s sporting 

infrastructure to ensure that 

community sport is not put 

at risk. 

Auckland Council’s draft 

long-term plan for Youth 

Sport and Recreation infrastructure 

is inadequate. The 

current plan contains a capital 

shortfall of at least $500 

million over the next ten 

years and does not sufficiently 

satisfy local demand. 

There are between 90 and 

150 sports fields and courts 

needed in Auckland right 

now. These sports facilities 

are vital to the survival of organisations 

that provide sport 

and recreational opportunities 

and employ more than 

25,000 Aucklanders. 

Deficiency exacerbated 

This deficiency is exacerbated 

by the Government 

moving to scrap Public 

Private Partnerships (PPPs). 

PPPs are an innovative way 

to spend taxpayer money efficiently 

and are crucial to 

ensuring sport and recreation 

remains accessible for all 

Aucklanders. 

Scrapping PPPs will hold 

Auckland and other parts of 

New Zealand back in terms of 

sporting infrastructure. Even 

if the Government doesn’t 

support PPPs then it could 

consider partnerships that 

harness central, local and 

community funding. 

With intensification, there 

will be a growing need to utilise 

space better. 

With over $4.85 billion allocated 

to school infrastructure 

by the last Government, 

a large amount of which was 

destined for Auckland, there 

are huge opportunities for 

greater partnerships. 

Meetings planned 

National will be holding a 

series of meetings over the 

next six months with the 

community and sporting organisations 

to help progress 

projects across Auckland to 

ensure more young people 

and their families have access 

to sport and recreation 

facilities. 

We know there are councillors 

and local board representatives 

who feel strongly 

about this, so we plan to work 

closely with them. 

While we are focusing on 

Auckland, we will also be 

working with local MPs to 

identify other areas of New 

Zealand where projects can 

be progressed. 

The economic ramifications 

of poor sporting infrastructure 

are huge, with the sector 

contributing at least $1.9 billion 

to Auckland’s economy 

each year. 

Physical inactivity cost 

New Zealand’s health care 

system over $200 million in 

2013 and some research indicates 

that around 20% of 

young Auckland children are 

overweight. 

Education Growth Plan 

The Education Minister 

needs to continue the 

Auckland Education Growth 

Plan which was being 

worked on by the previous 

Government and was due to 

be considered by Cabinet last 

November. It is important to 

look at the work done so far 

to factor in potential opportunities 

around sport and recreational 

infrastructure. 

We must prioritise sport 

and recreation in our communities 

and Auckland 

Council and the Government 

must front up with more 

funding to support Auckland’s 

sporting infrastructure. 

Nikki Kaye and Dennis Lee 

are elected Members of 

Parliament respectively 

from Auckland Central and 

Maungakiekie and National 

Party’s Spokespersons 

for Sport & Recreation 

and Local Government 

(Auckland). 

Sportslink/Entertainmentlink 

Young Violin Master to perform in New Zealand next month 

Expect the best of Nandini Shankar, the Star of a new generation 

Venkat Raman 


One of the youngest and 

most prolific violinists 

of India will present her 

first musical concert in 

Auckland next month. 

Nandini Shankar, who has had 

an astonishing career at a young 

age with an equally astounding 

talent, will be on stage at Dorothy 

Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls 

Grammar School, located at 16 

Howe Street, Newton, Auckland on 

Saturday, June 30, 2018. 

She will be accompanied by 

Basant Madhur and his nephew 

Akhil Madhur on the Tabla. 

Sargam School of Indian Music 

is organising the programme titled, 

‘Sounds of India,’ in association 

with ‘Gymkhana,’ bringing together 

several other artistes. 

Other Performers 

The event will feature a Vocal 

Jugalbandi by Seetha and Dr Anita 

Naik, Sargam School Orchestra 

of Sitars, Violins and Tablas and 

a classical dance number by 

Abhishek Ravi. 

Tickets priced at $50 (VIP), $40 

(‘A’ Reserve) and $25 (‘B’ Reserve) 

are now on sale. 

Details can be obtained from 

Basant Madhur, Principal and 

Director of Sargam School of 

Indian Music on (09) 6262646 or 

021-0357954. 

A part of the proceeds of the 

Concert will be donated to ‘Shree 

Sanatan Dharam Hanuman 

Mandir’ in aid of its New Temple 

Project. 

About Nandini Shankar 

Nandini Shankar, a talented 

daughter of Shankar Devraj and 

the Violin maestro Dr Sangeeta 

Shankar, began her training in music 

at the tender age of three under 

the tutelage of her mother 

and illustrious grandmother, Dr N 

Rajam, one of the greatest violinists 

of all times. 

Born and raised in a house that 

reverberated high calibre music, 

Nandini evinced keen interest and 

began to develop her innate talent 

as a violinist. 

She gave her first public performance 

when she was eight years 

old at Bharat Bhavan Cultural 

Center, a multi-faceted Center for 

the Performing Arts in Bhopal, 

Madhya Pradesh. 

Five years later, she presented 

her first full-fledged solo concert, 

in Dharwad, Karnataka. 

Sterling Performances 

Thereafter she performed at 

many prominent music festivals, 

including Sawai Gandharva (Pune), 

Saptak (Ahmedabad), Dover Lane 

(Kolkata), ITC Sangeet Sammelan 

(Delhi), IMG, BHU, MERU in the 

Netherlands, Europalia in Belgium 

and Canada. 

Her crowning glory was her concert 

at the prestigious Carnegie 

Hall in New York in 2016. 

Nandini has also performed extensively 

at several centres in 

North America, Europe, the Middle 

East and South Asia. 

She is apart of ‘Sakhi,’ the first 

all-girl Indian classical band established 

by Kaushiki Chakraborty, 

who belongs to a musical family in 

Kolkata. 

Educational Pursuits 

Nandini obtained her postgraduation 

(MA) qualification in Music 

in 2017 from Shreemati Nathibai 

Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) 

University, the first University exclusively 

for women in South East Asia. 

She is currently on the Faculty 

of Music and Composition at 

Whistling Woods International, a 

premier film institute in Mumbai. 

About Basant Madhur 

Basant Madhur established 


in 2006 to provide education and 

training in Indian Classical Vocal 

and Instrumental Music. 

The School aims to preserve and 

promote the rich cultural and social 

heritage of India among the 

Indian Diaspora and other ethnic 

groups. 

“Music unifies people and creates 

peace, harmony and goodwill. 

The forthcoming Programme 

is another prestigious event that 

our School has conducted over the 

years. It will also provide an opportunity 

to showcase our local 

talent on a platform that will encourage 

promotion of our fine 

arts,” he said. 

Among the students of Sargam 

School of Indian Music are of 

Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri 

Lankan, Malaysian, Fijian, Tongan, 

Afghani, Chinese, European, 

American, South African and New 

Zealander origin. 

“We are proud of our heritage,” 

Basant said. 

He is a well-known and qualified 

Tabla player. Prior to migrating 

to New Zealand, he was a ‘Class 

One’ Artiste of All India Radio and 

Television channels and has been 

a regular performer with local, regional, 

national and international 

vocalists and instrumentalists, 

accompanying them in Indian, 

Pakistani and Western music. 

Professional Artiste 

Affable manners, positive attitude, 

humility, competence and 

high professional standards make 

Basant a great artiste to perform 

and work with other performers. 


also has the benefit of the expertise 

of his father Dr Shukdev Madhur 

(Violinist and Music Teacher), who 

has trained hundreds of students, 

many of who have become music 

27 

teachers, lecturers and performing 

artistes. Dr Madhur shares his time 

between his native India and New 

Zealand. 

Next Issue: Akhil Madhur, a 

young Tabla Player on the grow.


28 Sportslink 

66 medals, great heroes, two cheats, what a time on Gold Coast 

Ravi Nyayapati 

Aturning point beckoned 

for Indian sport at their 

recent showing at the 

Commonwealth Games 

at Gold Coast, Australia, earlier 

this month. 

Indian finished the Games 

with a tally of 66 medals, in what 

was their third most successful 

Commonwealth Games outing. 

This 26 Gold Medals haul 

marked the event as one of country’s 

best sporting performances 

across disciplines. 

Historic perspective 

Their best performance to-date 

remains the 2010 New Delhi 

Games with 38 Golds amongst 

a total of 101 medals, and a 

second-place finish. 

However, those games are 

known more for their innumerable 

controversies, unprecedented 

bad publicity and corruption 

scandals of monumental proportions. 

In Manchester in 2002, they 

collected 64 medals and attained 

a fourth-place finish. 

The numbers show that this 

was not their best effort to-date, 

but Gold Coast 2018 seemed to be 

a turning point. 

Mental Shift 

It was different for many 

reasons. 

The games signalled a mental 

shift towards a hunger for an 

Manik Batra (Facebook) Neeraj Chopra (Twitter) Vinesh Phogat (Facebook) 

ultimate podium finish. 

There were more Gold Medals 

(26) won than Silver (20) and 

Bronze (20). 

Secondly, India took part in 

16 disciplines, and managed to 

get medals in nine of them. This 

cross-discipline feat was a welcome 

change from the past where 

glory has usually come from a 

small range of disciplines. 

Table (Tennis) turned 

The headline item has to be 

Table Tennis. 

Twenty-Two-Year-old 

Manika Batra claimed Gold in 

the Women’s Table Tennis event, 

an extraordinary feat given the 

unpopular nature of the sport in 

the Sub-Continent. 

Suddenly, this landscape 

changed as Batra made history 

winning four medals, including 

two Gold. In the process, she also 

beat Singapore's Feng Tianwei, 

who is a multiple Olympic medallist 

ranked fourth in the world. 

In the end, Table Tennis turned 

out to be the country’s surprise 

success story. 

Javelin Joy & Vinesh Phogat 

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, 

the 20-year-old former junior 

world champion, scripted his own 

history by becoming the country's 

first javelin thrower to win a 

Commonwealth Games gold. It is 

only the fourth individual gold in 

the Commonwealth Games won 

India in atrack and field event. 

The drama surrounding his 

victory this was equally entertaining. 

Chopra was cheered from the 

stands by fellow competitor and 

freestyle wrestler Vinesh Phogat, 

a member of the famous Phogat 

family whose successes led to 

the production of Bollywood film 

Dangal. 

Chopra’s victory then inspired 

Phogat to aim for Gold in her 50 

kg bout minutes later, after she 

rushed to the wrestling hall from 

Carrara Stadium where Chopra 

had been. Back at the wrestling 

hall, a sigh of relief calmed nerves 

of the team management as they 

fretted over the absence of Phogat 

minutes before the whistle was 

blown. 

Phogat justified the panic and 

felt it was more important for the 

wrestler to support her friend 

first. “We had made apromise to 

each other, and at that moment I 

told myself that I just had to win 

gold as well,” she said. 

It was reminiscent of a Bollywood 

movie. ‘Dangal Part 2’ may 

be on the cards. 

Shooting Story 

India also dominated the 

Shooting category, claiming most 

medals in the shooting range. 

The sense of gratification here 

was in the range of participant 

ages. 

Whilst experienced Tejaswini 

Sawant, 37, snatched a gold and 

silver, young Anish Bhanwala 

also grabbed a Gold at just 15 

years of age. 

Indian shuttlers did not disappoint 

their huge fan following. 

Badminton had already set 

a mark in India over the last 

few years, and this domination 

continued at the games. 

India vs India 

It was incredible to see “India 

vs India” flash on the scoreboard 

at the Women’s Badminton 

singles. And what a match that 

was – at one point in the game 

there was a 63-point rally for a 

shot, that was eventually won by 

Saina Nehwal. 

Nehwal had a hard-fought 

comeback to reign supreme in 

her professional rivalry with 

current favourite PV Sindhu. Srikanth 

Kadambi had to settle for 

silver in the men’s singles after a 

fantastic run in the recent past. 

Athletes evicted 

On an unfortunate note, 

the start of the tournament 

threatened to put a further dent 

in India’s reputation for doping 

violations. Triple jumper Rakesh 

Babu and race walker Irfan Kolothum 

Thodi were sent packing 

after a needle was found in a cup 

in their bedroom at the Athletes 

Village. 

The Commonwealth Games 

Federation found the pair’s testimony 

at the hearing to be “both 

unreliable and evasive.” 

As a result, Babu and Thodi 

were not permitted to participate 

in the Games and evicted from 

the village with immediate effect. 

The country stands third in this 

list. Unless a major overhaul occurs, 

there will always remain a 

lingering suspicion while getting 

joy of watching incredible talent. 

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