INL Digital Edition August 1, 2020

16
AUGUST 1, 2020
Communitylink
Papatoetoe Rotary plans more community projects
Venkat Raman
Rotary Club of Papatoetoe
Central is planning to
increase its community
welfare projects to bring
relief to the poorer and vulnerable
sections of the society, Public
Relations Director Raj Pardeep Singh
has said.
He said that as one of the
youngest Rotary Clubs (established
in November 2015) in the District,
Papatoetoe Central is keen to pursue
the objectives of Rotary International
with vigour.
Annual fundraiser
“We are working on our Annual
Fundraising Dinner which, apart
from mobilising financial resources
for worthy causes, will provide fun
and entertainment to the entire
family. Our Club is a real potpourri
of cultures and people, with current
members from different walks of
life like doctors, teachers, financiers,
businessmen, consultants, publishers
and health professionals. I am
looking forward to making it a place
where people who want to make
difference by providing volunteer
services can meet and share their
views and thoughts,” he said.
Mr Singh said that his aim is to
lead, motivate and inspire club
members while ensuring that
the Club’s focus and values are
maintained.
Raj Pardeep Singh (File Photo)
Some members of the 2020-2021 team
“The Club is bridging the gap between
the communities by offering
volunteer services and getting involved
in community projects. We
welcome new members who have a
passion for serving the community
while making new friends along the
Rotary Papatoetoe President Kulbir Singh with
Immediate Past District Governor Gary Langford
way,” he said.
Members meet at 7 pm every
Monday at Haveli Indian Restaurant
located at 736 Great South
Road, Manukau.
About Rotary Papatoetoe
Established in October 2015, the
Rotary Papatoetoe comprises people from diverse communities
Rotary Club of Papatoetoe Central
works with local professionals to
raise funding for good causes.
Although a majority of its members
are professionals from the Indian
community in South Auckland,
the Club is open to all ethnic groups
and cultures. It is also represented
by women with excellent leadership
qualities.
Mr Singh said that during the past
five years, the Club completed many
community projects and served the
wider South Auckland community.
Professionals and community
workers
“On July 18, 2020, the Rotary Club
of Papatoetoe Central had their
changeover function at Mehman
India Restaurant in Howick,
Auckland. Kulbir Singh, the first turban-wearing
Sikh became President
of a Rotary Club in New Zealand. His
team includes philanthropist professionals
who are lawyers, teachers,
financial advisors and businessmen,”
Mr Singh said.
He is among the professionals in
the team. Among them are Manu
Singh, Yashveen Singh, Sunil
Aggarwal, PJ Dhatt, Deepak Sharma,
Gurjinder Singh, Raj Chand, Akhilesh
Chaudhary, Praveen Chand, Nek
Mohammed, Gurjinder Ghuman,
Karnail Singh, Daman Kaur, Nikita
Chand, Naleen Chand, Jaspinder
Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur, Aloka Peacock
and Mustaq Sheikh.
“Rotary values diversity and celebrates
the contributions of people of
all backgrounds, regardless of their
age, ethnicity, race, colour, abilities,
religion, socioeconomic status,
culture, sex, sexual orientation, and
gender identity. The Club belongs to
New Zealand, District 9920,” he said.
Death of young Akash Anthony throws community into grief
Venkat Raman
There are times when a
journalist is too emotionally
charged to report on an
incident.
There are times when the subject
of a report is someone close to the
journalist’s heart and that of his
family.
Akash Anthony was a son as
much to my family as he was to
that of the late Wenceslaus Anthony
and his wife Susan and a darling
brother to Sneha and her husband
Mario Saverimuttu.
Unbelievable and painful
That Akash died on Saturday, July
18, 2020 in Sydney while on a visit
was too difficult to fathom.
That the ever-smiling, well-mannered
young man- he was only
27- is gone, is excruciating.
That this child of God went beyond
the clouds to which he soared
as a pilot is unbelievable.
And that he died within the
same week of his father’s third
anniversary (Wenceslaus Anthony
passed away in Chennai on July 23,
2020 following a sudden illness) is
even more tragic.
Relationships are sacred and
when people are united in a bond,
the pain is insufferable when
one of them leaves- the reason is
immaterial.
Good habits, manners
Akash, as I knew him, was a bubbling
young man- he had simple
habits and achievable objectives.
He was a great son, even a greater
brother and an ambitious pilot
who wanted to be on air all the
time- flying an aircraft and carrying
people in it.
We spent more than 20 hours
Akash Anthony: Unbelievable, harsh reality
A great Cricketer but the innings were
very short: Akash Anthony with his Coach
Nazeem Smith in 2010
together travelling to Chennai to
attend first anniversary prayer
at his tomb and attend other
meetings and services in Chennai
in July 2018. Those hours gave me
an insight to the mind and heart
Akash with his mother Susan, Sister Sneha and father (the late) Wenceslaus Anthony
of the fine young man that Akash
had become.
“I want to see my sister married
and settled and look after my
mother,” he had said, apart from
detailing his attitude towards life
and people.
Little did I (for that matter even
Akash) knew that the situation
would change so much for the
worse.
Message from Sister
His sister Sneha wrote the following
upon his death:
“I really don’t know how we are
going to even put one foot in front of
the other without you. Each minute
feels like the biggest challenging
nightmare. Still grieving the loss
of dad and then this happens. One
of the happiest most generous
kind-hearted non-judgemental
funniest people and the best little
brother ever. I have no words and
no idea what to do.
“Let us all be kind to each other
and know that hard times don’t
last forever and we need to push
through and look after our mental
health. He was always the happiest
and most cheerful person we were
so close as a family who talked
always, he called my mum multiple
times a day and told her everything
and no one ever thought his mind
would take him so quickly down a
dark spiral from which he could not
return. Please pray for him and the
family we just don’t know what to
do.”
About Akash Anthony
Akash was just a boy of six
when he migrated to New Zealand
with his parents and sister and I
remember him as an energetic boy
interested in Cricket, music and of
course flying.
Indian Newslink carried a story
in its September 15, 2010 issue, with
the title, ‘Exciting future awaits
young Cricketer.’
He was described as a Cricketer
with a promise and a growing list
of admirers.
Avondale College First XI Cricket
Coach and former Provincial and
International Representative Player
Nazeem Smith said that Akash had
unique qualities and attributes
that could see him as a star and
that he followed the style of Indian
batsman Rahul Dravid.
“I think that he has all the
potential and makings of an
international Cricketer if he keeps
working hard at it. He is a dream
player of any coach and always has
more to offer than offers.”
Like his father Wenceslaus,
Akash inspired, motivated and
brought out the best in others.
He built an extremely good
rapport and popularity amongst his
peers, members of the family and
everyone he knew.
I am grateful to friends- more
than 100 of them- who called,
texted and emailed mourning the
death of Akash. More than 600
people prayed at a Mass held on
Sunday July 26, 2020 at Catholic
Church of Christ the King in Mt
Roskill, Auckland.
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