INL Digital Edition August 1, 2020

18
AUGUST 1, 2020
Communitylin/Entertainmentlink
Top In Town Restaurant opens in Christchurch
Shirish Paranjape
The wait is finally over.
When Housing Minister
Dr Megan Woods cut the
ribbon on Friday, July 10,
2020, she was doing much more
than declaring open the Top in
Town Restaurant in Christchurch.
Her action marked the end of a
long wait for entrepreneur Tanveer
Jahangir Mohammed, his family,
colleagues and friends.
Out of the Ordinary
The opening marked the
beginning of business of a new
type of restaurant in the heart of
Christchurch, serving Hyderabadi
Mughlai style cuisine including a
buffet with a large variety of dishes
all days of the week.
Top in Town in Christchurch is
open from 12 pm to 10 pm every
day and Tanveer plans to extend
those hours in due course.
Tanveer is a New Zealand citizen.
He established ‘Top in Town’
takeaway restaurant and ‘Food City’
Attention
Eros
Now/Eros
Entertainment
Victims
Venkat Raman
Eros Now/Eros Entertainment
offers a number of films
other features in several
languages.
They lure customers offering a
trial subscription with the promise
that 'You can cancel the subscription
anytime.'
Are you a victim of Eros Now/Eros
Entertainment having taken a trial
subscription but continue to receive
monthly debits on your credit card
despite cancellation and continuous
emails to them?
Have you tried to stop your credit
card payment with your bank but
unable to do so because of the regulations
around this procedure?
Are you at the end of your nerves,
because of the irresponsible behaviour
of this company?
If yes, please respond to this
post and we will continue our fight
against this company as a team.
I look forward to hearing from
you.
venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz
Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods speaking at the opening of Top in
Town in Christchurch
An extensive range of dishes every day of the week
Poor mental health is one
of New Zealand’s biggest
societal issues but not a
political management tool.
National Party’s approach is not that
of a government-in-waiting.
Another day, another National MP
gone.
In just two short weeks, the Opposition
has lost a leader and five MPs.
Add to that a senior MP stripped
of the crucial health portfolio, and
poll numbers that do little to inspire
confidence.
This is not a government-in-waiting,
this is a Party in disarray.
Deplorable behaviour
The latest personal transgression
by a National Party MP was deplorable,
and the way it was dealt with
adds to valid criticism of the party’s
recent political management.
National’s attempt to use
mental health as a shield was not
only disingenuous (at best), it also
undermined the progress New
Zealand is making in talking about,
and understanding, mental health
and wellbeing.
On Monday afternoon (July 20),
Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon issued
a statement saying that he would not
contest the upcoming election.
The press release focused on Mr
Falloon’s mental health challenges.
He spoke about friends who had
died by suicide, the impact that had
on him, and his unresolved grief.
One short line hinted there was
more going on: “I have made a
number of mistakes and I apologise
to those who have been affected.”
Minutes later, a short press release
from new National Leader Judith
Collins also spoke about Mr Falloon’s
“significant mental health issues.”
She asked that his privacy be
respected.
The toll politics takes
Ms Collins’ statement also alluded
to another reason for Mr Falloon’s
resignation: “The National Party
was advised of an issue relating to
Andrew late on Friday afternoon
Restaurant Owner Tanveer Jahangir Mohammed explains the concept of
Top in Town
on Sandringham Road and later opened a Restaurant
in Papatoetoe in South Auckland. He left for Australia
about ten years ago.
After running successful restaurants on either side
of the Tasman, Tanveer decided to return to New
Zealand this year and settle down in Christchurch to
support his brother Ahmed Iqbal Mohammed, who is a
victim of the terrorist attach Mosques in Christchurch
on March 15, 2019.
However, various stages of lock-down meant that
the inauguration could not happen till now.
The Christchurch massacre
Following the terrorist attack, Tanveer arrived from
Australia and stood in the hospital for 12 days while
his brother was recovering.
“Everyone concerned, including
the government, the New Zealand
Police, the Muslim and other
communities did a great job. I
invited a large number of people
who helped during the post-attack
days to my restaurant for a free
lunch on the opening day,” Tanveer
later told Indian Newslink.
Concerned Police Officers were
also invited to the opening night.
Noble gesture
Dr Woods congratulated and
thanked Tanveer for his gesture of
providing free food to members of
essential services.
She said it was only fitting that
such a fusion restaurant had now
opened for business in the suburb
of Riccarton, which is home to
multicultural communities,
Gamal Fouda, Imam of Al-Noor
Mosque and Community Board
Member, blessed the Restaurant
with recitation of Islamic verses.
The opening ceremony was
covered live on Facebook by Radio
Sadeaala with compering by Yitesh
Sharma, and Habib Mirvat from
the Office of Ethnic Communities.
Shirish Paranjape is our Correspondent
in Christchurch. He is a
member of the Community Board.
Mental Health is not a political management tool
Laura Walters
National Party Leader Judith Collins with Party President Peter Goodfellow and her Caucus
colleagues soon after her election to the post (Picture by Sam Sachdeva for Newsroom)
and we have dealt with it this
morning,” she said.
Neither were upfront about what
the first-term MP had done, or the
severity of his actions.
Instead, the weight was placed
on his mental health issues.
In the following hours, Mr Falloon
received messages of support
- a sign the country is coming to
better understand the toll politics
can take on MPs’ mental health and
wellbeing.
This is something New Zealand
witnessed last week when Todd
Muller resigned as leader after just
53 days in the job, citing the pressures
of the role, and the impact on
his mental and physical health.
To New Zealand’s credit, Mr Muller
was commended by many for
putting his health, and his family’s
health, before his job.
It appears that Ms Collins saw
the way the country supported
Muller, and was tempted to try that
approach for a second time. But Mr
Falloon’s situation was different.
The full story
By Monday evening, the full
story had emerged: Mr Falloon
(he reportedly claims someone
else, using his phone) had sent an
unsolicited sexual picture - not of
himself - to a teenager. The girl’s
parents told the Prime Minister’s
office, which referred it to the
National Party.
Police investigated, but said
it did not reach the prosecution
threshold.
These revelations showed that
the Party had not been upfront
with the whole story. No-one had
signalled the nature of what Mr
Falloon - a 37-year-old MP - had
done, or the severity of his actions.
Unfortunately, lying by omission
is par for the course in politics.
But using mental health as a
shield - a way to keep scrutiny at
bay – is not.
This is not a question of whether
Mr Falloon is experiencing mental
health issues, or whether he should
get the privacy, treatment and
support he deserves - that goes
without saying.
Eroding public trust
But using one of the country’s
biggest social and health issues as
a tool for political management
further erodes public trust in the
Party - something that is already
taken a dive.
Mental health issues are a very
real problem in politics, but not
something to be used as an excuse
for bad behaviour.
It does a disservice to all New
Zealanders who live with mental
health issues, but continue to make
the right decisions, and stand
accountable for their mistakes like
everyone else.
This serious mis-judgment is the
latest in an increasingly chaotic
month for the National Party.
Just two weeks ago, first-term
Clutha-Southland MP Hamish
Walker announced his resignation
from politics after leaking private
health information of Covid-19
patients to the media.
Loss to National
Since then, National has been
bleeding MPs.
Two days after the Walker scandal,
list MP Jian Yang announced he
would retire at the election.
Then Mr Muller announced his
decision to step down as leader.
This sparked an emergency
Caucus meeting, where Ms Collins
was elected as leader, and it was
clear the party would change, with
beltway watchers expecting a surge
to the right and the adoption of a
Crusher Collins ’win at any cost’
mentality.
Her leadership resulted in the loss
of two more MPs - Amy Adams and
Nikki Kaye.
The departure of the two senior,
and more socially liberal, MPs was
not a surprise to many, but it would
be a loss to National. Both have
experience as ministers, and are
trusted and effective MPs.
The mass exodus of those before
Mr Falloon likely speaks to an
unsettled and divided caucus.
If it is an attempt by Collins to
clean house, she has got the timing
wrong.
Cleaning house usually comes
after an election loss - not before.
Right now, Ms Collins needs to
be doing all she can to mount a
strong contest come September 19.
Covering for an MP’s bad behaviour
does not achieve that.
Where to get help
1737, Need to talk? Free call or
text 1737 any time for support from
a trained counsellor
Lifeline – 0800 543 354 or (09)
5222 999 within Auckland
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828
865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
thelowdown.co.nz – or email
team@thelowdown.co.nz or free
text 5626
Anxiety New Zealand - 0800
ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
Supporting Families in Mental
Illness - 0800 732 825
Laura Walters is Senior Political Reporter at
Newsroom in Wellington, covering Justice,
Education and the upcoming campaign. The
above Report has been published under a
Special Arrangement with Newsroom.